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Essence

Lisa Ann O'Kane (Goodreads Author)

3.84 · Rating details · 105 ratings · 49 reviews

Autumn escaped a cult, but now she realizes she's fallen into another.

Growing up in San Francisco’s Centrist Movement, sixteen year-old Autumn Grace has always believed emotions—adrenaline, endorphins, even happiness—drain your Essence and lead to an early death. But her younger brother’s passing and a run-in with a group of Outsiders casts her faith into question.

Ryder St ...more

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Kindle Edition, 243 pages

Published June 3rd 2014 by Strange Chemistry (first published May 23rd 2014)

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YA Debuts 2014

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May 11, 2014 Ashley Ferguson rated it it was amazing

*I received this book from Strange Chemistry on NetGalley in echange for an honest review*

When I went into this book, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Cults, some romance, and a lot of adventure, sure. But what I got was SO much more than that. I wasn't prepared for the roller coaster that was this book, and I'm still trying to recover from it. I loved every second of Essence, and as soon as I finished it I wanted to start reading it all over again. And I still probably will.

Essence takes *I received this book from Strange Chemistry on NetGalley in echange for an honest review*

When I went into this book, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Cults, some romance, and a lot of adventure, sure. But what I got was SO much more than that. I wasn't prepared for the roller coaster that was this book, and I'm still trying to recover from it. I loved every second of Essence, and as soon as I finished it I wanted to start reading it all over again. And I still probably will.

Essence takes place in the not-so-distant future, after a series of earthquakes have destroyed quite a bit. The people have had to rebuild, and in doing so have taken up new religious beliefs. The Centrist Movement is really interesting, and not so far-fetched that I can't imagine people actually joining such a cult. We're given just enough information to understand the basics of the Centrists and a little bit of their inner workings, but since Autumn spends most of the book as an Outsider, it's enough to know why she would want to escape and why there are people who are protesting them.

Most of the excitement comes in once Autumn gets to the Community - they are adrenaline junkies, after all. I really enjoyed seeing both extremes of the spectrum; the Centrists who believe that anything but neutrality will kill you faster, and the Community members who believe that an abundance of emotions and feelings will help you lead a longer life. There's really no happy medium. One of my favorite parts of the Community was that it was located in Yosemite National Park, which lends itself to all sorts of ridiculous adventures. More than that though, Lisa Ann beautifully describes all of the places that Autumn and her friends go to throughout the park, and I felt like I was actually there.

Then there's a love triangle. It's a very lopsided triangle and it's obvious who Autumn will eventually pick, but I really enjoyed watching her struggle with her choice. There's the boy who is safe and reminds her of home, and then there's the boy that everyone warns her about who is always looking for the next thrill, the next activity that will lead to a spike in his adrenaline and heart rate. Watching the relationship change both Autumn and the boys was really fascinating, and I felt like it was very real. They get into fights and disagree over a lot of things, but they make up and are better people for it. There's quite a bit of growth all around, and all of the characters push each other in so many different ways. I was so impressed with how well rounded so many of the more minor characters were! I felt like I knew them all personally.

I could go on and on and on about this book for a while, but I think it's one of those books that you just read for yourself. I think it would be good for fans of YA distopias, especially if you're looking for something more realistic. There are cults, but this book is so much more than that. I couldn't put it down, and I really hope that there is a sequel (I've heard it's now most likely going to be a standalone, and it works as one, but I want more of Autumn and Ryder and their friends!). I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Lisa Ann's books and I hope there are many of them! Definitely a 5/5. Go read Essence ASAP!
...more

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May 16, 2014 Kris rated it really liked it

Some of the Goodreads reviews on Essence are harsh, and I really don’t understand why. This is a good book. Essence is a fast, but fulfilling read. It is entertaining and thought provoking - unexpected, yet plausible.
Autumn flees a cult in San Francisco cult only to enter another in Yosemite. She is originally a member of the Centrist Movement. Through a course of events, Autumn leaves that life behind to live with a group dedicated to proving the Centrists wrong. Along the way, she second gues ...more

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Mar 27, 2014 Rose rated it did not like it

Shelves: dystopia, netgalley, fantasy, great-premise-lacking-execution, young-adult, arc-or-galley, false-advertising, romance, dystoromance

I’m at a loss for words because Lisa Ann O’Kane’s “Essence” is little more than a contemporary YA romance with love triangle and coming of age leanings wrapped in a futuristic dystopian package. It really isn’t a dystopian title in any means because it literally does little – if anything – to play up the environment or even the future in which it takes place. When you take away those parts of it, there’s very little holding it together at all, and much of it comes across as ludicrous and puerile I’m at a loss for words because Lisa Ann O’Kane’s “Essence” is little more than a contemporary YA romance with love triangle and coming of age leanings wrapped in a futuristic dystopian package. It really isn’t a dystopian title in any means because it literally does little – if anything – to play up the environment or even the future in which it takes place. When you take away those parts of it, there’s very little holding it together at all, and much of it comes across as ludicrous and puerile. I honestly have no idea what’s distinguishing this. Scant worldbuilding and mediocre scientific focus to boot.

Autumn starts off the novel as a young woman who’s recently lost her little six year old brother, and rebels against the society that raised her because of their callous attitude towards her brother’s death. They are a society that is restrictive in controlling the “essence” of the people in their population. Strong emotions, non-conformity, things of that nature are all indicative of one who lacks balance in their respective “essence”. I could get behind that. Even when I was a little skeptical of Autumn’s quick to judgement movements and actions, I figured the book would expound on these details later on. It caught my attention and the prose was easy to read through.

Autumn comes across a group of outsiders who convince her to follow them because of her doubts in the society she was raised and that they want to show her that her life has been a lie. She’s only minimally skeptical and ends up going with them without much fight at all (despite leaving her mother and aunt behind – because rebellion!). Even still, she says she’s doing this for the sake of discovery in her brother’s memory, but more like she’s attuned to the alluring presence of a boy (Ryder) and his respective group. She ends up toggling affections between two boys (one of which was formerly of her same group), discovering people who are partially unclothed or fully naked (as some of their water dives showcase), trying drugs for the first time, having sex, running (because her society’s focused on meditation and notably sedentary as it would disrupt their “essence.” When Autumn takes off running in rebellion and feels the pain of physical exertion for notably the first time – I had to shake my head. It made my fitness/wellness mind facepalm many a time).

It turns out that Autumn gets recruited into some tests that measure her essence in order to prove that the “essence” theory is B.S. (Huh?) And in order to prove that it’s B.S., she’s running with a group of her peers in these high adrenaline activities in what used to be Yosemite Park, but there have been volcanoes and natural disasters that decimated the world at one point (this is threadbare in establishment). But she finds that more than one person is lying to her about her circumstances (including Ryder), and she undertakes a very harrowing task involving walking on a mountain without so much as checking until the last moment for her security details for very little reason at all, just because she trusts the person who doesn’t turn out to be trust worthy at all. But it’s all okay, because she has the love of a hot boy (Ryder). He likes to show off his nakedness to her, and even if he drugs her (just because his father told him to) and has sex with her (which was awkward) – she might call him out on these things and label him a jerk that’s dangerous and wrong for her in one moment, but the next she’s back to loving him as if nothing wrong happened at all.

wtf

WTF man?

This book had so many things wrong with it that it’s just painful for me to even dwell too much on it. I will say, constructively speaking to end this review out – that the character development and motivations were completely off and vague, the worldbuilding did nothing to play up the respective environment and make it interesting (or even clear cut), the love triangle/love story felt so forced it made me feel like it was a forgone conclusion, the character actions were supposed to be discovery/coming of age, but came across as stupid, the ending was a bit vague, and…

Yeah, none of this worked. Not recommended.

Overall score: 0.5/5 stars

Note; I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry. ...more

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Nov 06, 2013 Jennifer Bement rated it it was amazing

I LOVED this book! I read it on my phone and couldn't put it down (except when driving, of course!) The characters were interesting and relatable despite living in a far different world from our own. Autumn was an unlikely heroine, but following her through her journey of self-actualization was a fun trip. The descriptions of Yellowstone made me want to visit - especially during mooonbow time, as it sounds absolutely magical.

The relationships, while between young adults, didn't portray the "I'm ...more

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Jun 06, 2014 Britt Coon rated it it was amazing

I love this book! The day I purchased it, I was only planning to read a few chapters. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. The story kept pulling me back to find out what happens next. This is a fast paced story with many twists and turns following the journey of a young woman experiencing life outside the her cult's boundaries for the first time.
Through these new experiences, the main character grows leaps and bounds. The author does a fantastic job painting the scenery, putting the rea ...more

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Dec 31, 2013 A. Rolland rated it it was amazing

I flew through this one. Essence is a dystopian that doesn’t quite feel dystopian because there aren’t heavy hits of background or an emphasis on world destruction; it wouldn’t have fit the tone of the book. However, intrigue isn’t lacking due to the societies (cults). The MC is born into bland society where stimulation and emotion are forbidden. Following the death of her brother, Autumn (MC) discovers a new extreme, a group who live to charge their adrenaline. She wakes up to experience life w ...more

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Feb 22, 2014 Jamie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya

This YA debut author knows how to paint a scenery. Vivid descriptions helped me visualize Yosemite, despite the fact that I've never been there. Unlike many of the new YA dystopian novels, it is not overly violent, and all conflicts serve a purpose in the overall plot. Between the imagery and Autumn & Ryder's chemistry, it's a perfect rainy day read. ...more

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Mar 30, 2014 Melissa (thereaderandthechef) rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian, netgalley, earc

*This review is also at The Reader and The Chef. Big thanks to Strange Chemistry and Netgalley for the eARC.*

I can't believe this book won't be a series anymore. WHY?

I think Essence is an awesome, well written book that's different from other dystopian books out there. I liked how instead of focusing on the state of the whole world, it focuses on two small societies, or rather cults, where the people living in them think that's all there is to life.

The story begins in San Francisco, CA. with Aut *This review is also at The Reader and The Chef. Big thanks to Strange Chemistry and Netgalley for the eARC.*

I can't believe this book won't be a series anymore. WHY?

I think Essence is an awesome, well written book that's different from other dystopian books out there. I liked how instead of focusing on the state of the whole world, it focuses on two small societies, or rather cults, where the people living in them think that's all there is to life.

The story begins in San Francisco, CA. with Autumn, a girl who has just lost her little brother and is struggling to bottle up her grief because the Centrists don't allow her to display her emotions. They believe in their motto "Neutrality is the key to longevity", which means that if a person doesn't want to lose their Essence and die, they must abide by their rules of no laughing, crying, running or any other thing that makes you feel alive.

This cult is sick. The people who abide by its rules live a very plain life in fear of ending their lives prematurely for feeling something. And, because the leader, Cedar, also prohibits relationships inside the cult, he assigns the centrists brothers (other leaders) to get involved with the women, ensuring the preservation of the cult (yuck!). As Autumn tries to escape this way of life, she stumbles with Ryder who lives in another community settled in Yosemite Park where they try to do the opposite of the Centrists. Their motto? "Abundance is the key to longevity".

The vast majority living in this community are reckless and bordering on stupid, trying to comply with the leader's demand to prove their cause. These people risk their lives on a daily basis to get their heart rate up in the clouds because they must live their lives to the limit. Really, I can't decide which cult is crazier.

For me, the characters were the biggest highlights of this book. I enjoyed so much the company of Jett, Javi, Kandace and the rest of the secondary roles. They were cool and had common sense, so much more than the main characters. Even when they were treated unfairly, they still cared for Autumn's safety, and also a bit for Ryder.

Autumn is not the best main character I've ever read, but I liked her for being more normal. She makes a lot of mistakes, trusts the wrong people and more than once she needs a hard poke in the eye to make her see sense. Eventually she comes around and after that, I can say I'm proud of what she accomplishes. However, I didn't like her relationship with Ryder because he's kind of a jerk and she was better off without him. Javi, on the other hand, was a sweety and I could totally see myself falling for him. He's from the same Centrist movement as Autumn and right from the start he was honest with his feelings for her. Damn Autumn and her blindness!

Overall, I think Essence is meant and deserves to be a series. It's not fair to be left hanging with so many questions unanswered! There's just so much that can be told and so much left to be discovered about the Centrists, about the Outsiders and of the mess the big earthquake made 40 years ago that started everything. If the author ever gets to write the second book, I won't hesitate to go back and continue with Autumn's story. I must know what's next. Pleeeeease?

I won't stop begging until I get what I want. Publisher, you have been warned. ...more

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Sep 19, 2013 Joe Kovacs rated it it was amazing

Shelves: children-s-literature

Fantastic read. Suspenseful with characters who evolve throughout the story as circumstances develop. Nimble, gripping reading with fantastic scene-setting at Yosemite National Park. An all-around examination into the forces that create idealism and those that motivate community and friendship. Lisa O'Kane is to be commended for penning such a worthwhile story. ...more

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Feb 02, 2014 Precy Larkins rated it really liked it

This is the kind of book that will leave your palms sweaty and your heart rate elevated while reading, especially if you’re afraid of heights. That cover alone makes me want to cling to my bed post and never step down. Highlining over hundreds of feet of just air?! I can’t even imagine.

The Centrist movement is essentially a cult lead by a man named Cedar, who insists that every person has a quantifiable amount of Essence that can be drained if people let their emotions rule them. Hence the sayi This is the kind of book that will leave your palms sweaty and your heart rate elevated while reading, especially if you’re afraid of heights. That cover alone makes me want to cling to my bed post and never step down. Highlining over hundreds of feet of just air?! I can’t even imagine.

The Centrist movement is essentially a cult lead by a man named Cedar, who insists that every person has a quantifiable amount of Essence that can be drained if people let their emotions rule them. Hence the saying: Neutrality is the key to longevity. If one stays neutral–no happiness, no sadness, no fear, no extreme emotions–then they preserve their Essence and, in theory, acquire a long life.

It doesn’t take long for Autumn to start having doubts about the Centrist’s beliefs, especially when her little brother dies too soon. So when a group of Outsiders--Ryder and his gang--offers her an alternative, she jumps at the opportunity to get away.

The Community Autumn finds herself joining aims to disprove the Centrist movement's theory of Essence. They do this by encouraging their members to do daring acts and stunts to spike their heart rates and elevate their hormone levels. Then these readings are recorded to be filed away as proof that one doesn't die from Essence drain. And so it is that Autumn begins to try out a myriad of adrenaline-fueled stunts, experiencing emotions she's never before experienced including falling in love.

While the concept sounds wholly original, I would have liked more world-building to get a real grip on this dystopian world and how the Centrist movement started after the Great Quake, or if it has somehow replaced the government, or if it’s just a localized community (it’s in San Francisco while the other cult/community takes place in Yosemite). There were mentions of Outsiders, and I would have liked to get a glimpse of the world beyond the cults.

The descriptions of Yosemite were spectacular, and I could tell that the author really knew what she was talking about. She has also captured what it’s like to be young and reckless and making bumbling mistakes–especially for a protagonist who has grown up in a sheltered, naive way of life. I feel like this book focuses more on the main protagonist’s self-awakening, rather than the dystopian aspect of the world she lives in. It is about Autumn’s journey and how she learns from herself and from her mistakes, how she finds someone to love and trust, how she tries to find an anchor within herself.

Overall, a fast-paced read that'll keep you on your toes. Or your feet firmly planted on the ground (because I'm scared of heights, ha!). A solid 4 stars. ...more

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Nov 02, 2014 Mark Stevens rated it really liked it

I don’t read much YA or speculative fiction, but “Essence” drew me right along. Set in San Francisco and northern California (around Yosemite), this novel is a dash of gentle sci-fi mixed with a dash of romance. The coming-of-age awakening for protagonist Autumn Grace starts in eerie fashion. She’s stuck in a cult—the Centrist Movement—that believes in minimizing self-expression in order to not expend too much of each person’s set quantity of “essence.” Outbursts—of all kinds—shorten life. (An I ...more

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Mar 26, 2014 Isa Lavinia rated it did not like it

Shelves: netgalley, arc, awful, insta-love, dystopia, just-no, bad-science, tstl, why-the-hype, young-adult

arc provided by Strange Chemistry through Netgalley

I... don't even know what to write about this book.

This is really weird, because I tend to love Strange Chemistry's books, I don't understand how they decided to publish this... but other people seem to have liked it, so...

This book has one of the most annoying and tstl heroines I've come across recently. Honestly, I spent my time going, "Girl, don't do it! Oh my God."
Add to that a nonsensical plot, no character development, no worldbuildin ...more

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Oct 19, 2014 Suzanne rated it it was amazing

This story held my attention so tightly, I could barely put it down. In the beginning, it's intriguing, but as you go, it's more and more intense. I read 85% of it in about 24 hrs. because I could NOT put it down. It also makes me want to go to Yosemite now. :) ...more

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Jun 28, 2014 Nichole Marshall rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, young-adult

Loved it! Felt connected with the characters, wanted to hang out in Yosemite with them. Would love a sequel to see how the two lovebirds would handle their own 'movement' ...more

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May 30, 2014 Kristin Taggart added it

I don't use star ratings, so please read my review!

(Description nicked from B&N.com.)

“Neutrality is the key to longevity. This motto has governed 16 year-old Autumn's life in the mid-21st century Centrist cult, which believes that expressing emotions leads to Essence drain and premature death.

But Autumn's younger brother’s death casts her faith into question.

While sprinting through a park in violation of Centrist teachings, she encounters Ryder Stone, an Outsider who claims Essence drain is not ...more

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Jun 23, 2014 Heather rated it really liked it

So I am tired today, this is due to the fact that I had to find out how this amazing book finished, so please forgive my grumpiness, but it is all worth it as Essence was unlike anything I have read before.

Set in San Francisco in our near future, earthquakes have hit and the city is rebuilding itself but out of the chaos comes a movement, The Centrists led by Cedar, a man who believes that when we are born our bodies have a finite amount of "essence" or what we would refer to as emotions, the me So I am tired today, this is due to the fact that I had to find out how this amazing book finished, so please forgive my grumpiness, but it is all worth it as Essence was unlike anything I have read before.

Set in San Francisco in our near future, earthquakes have hit and the city is rebuilding itself but out of the chaos comes a movement, The Centrists led by Cedar, a man who believes that when we are born our bodies have a finite amount of "essence" or what we would refer to as emotions, the members of this movement show no emotion, happiness, laughter even exercising is forbidden.

Following the death of her younger brother, Autumn starts to question her life and the whole Centrist way of life, her brother was allowed to die as the elders said he had run out of "essence", she doubts this as he was only 6 and following a dressing down from the elders for grieving her brother she runs in to the remains of Golden Gate Park to pull herself together but what she finds there is a little more than the peace she wanted, she finds three teenagers hidden away calling themselves Outsiders, they are ex-centrists who have fled the movement who have made their life hidden away from everyone, they do not believe the whole "essence" theory and they encourage Autumn to consider her life, consider the fact her brother could have been saved if the elders had allowed him medical treatment.

She has a big decision to make, will she leave her mother and aunt behind or will she run away with these people she barely knows but who offer the chance to live a normal life? The decision is made for her as Cedar announces that she is going to be sent to a Centrist retreat but of course she doesn't get there. She goes with the Outsiders - Ryder, Jett and Cody who take her along with fellow member Javi.

This is the first time she has been out of the San Francisco bay area and when she gets to their destination she is blown away - Yosemite National Park has been abandoned following the earthquakes and Ryder, along with her father Rex have set up a community here to help recovering centrists.

So I don't want to spoil what happens next for you but to give you some teasers as Autumn wakes up to a world of possibility she starts to notice boys!, she also gets to experience the highs and lows of living in such a beautiful place, she also needs to learn who to trust as sometimes the people she puts her faith in are holding back the facts, she experiences a lot of firsts, namely sex, drink and drugs plus some truly scary outdoor pursuits.

The question she begins to wonder is that this is all to be good to be true, what are they hiding?

Essence is a beautiful book, the settings of San Francisco and Yosemite are just perfect, the Centrist movement was just the perfect kind of creepy and when Autumn got to Yosemite it was also perfect as some of the answers to her questions you could see maybe there were holes in them, which gets you just desperate to find out how this ends up.

I would say it would be classed as young adult, but I am well out of that age bracket and I found it to be a great read. It really shows that when the worst happens people take control of that situation and try and influence others in to their way of thinking but not everyone can be brainwashed so easily as Autumn proves in this book.

Essence is awarded 4 out of 5 ...more

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Jan 21, 2015 Brandon Cooke rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Only took a few days to breeze through the discriptive text that continually beckons your natual man into the wilderness with Autumn and Ryder. The characters are easy to identify with and their struggle for acceptance both internally and externally is one that reverberates with not only seekers and wanderers but with intellectuals and mainstream thinkers alike. Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your heart and taking us on this exciting adventure.

'...the sound melted through my entire body until I f ...more

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Sep 19, 2013 Lisa O'Kane added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: my-books

I hope you enjoy my debut novel ESSENCE. It was inspired by the summer I spent living and working in Yosemite National Park--as well as the crews of adrenaline junkies I have fallen into and out of through the years. If you have any questions or would like to connect with me on social media, please visit my website for more information. I look forward to hearing from you!

-Lisa Ann

Website: http://lisaannokane.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lisaannokane
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisaannokan ...more

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Oct 10, 2014 Hallie Dodds rated it it was amazing

AMAZING!! I could not put ESSENCE down! It was thrilling and breathtaking. Every tiny detail that was put into writing this book, even to the intricate details of location blew my mind!
I would highly recommend this book to all of my friends, and I will!
I cannot wait to read more from Lisa Ann O'Kane!!
How about a squeal?! ...more

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Jun 23, 2014 Jeff Morrow rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Great debut that leaves you wanting more!

Essence is a wonderful example of storytelling, great character development and vivid environmental descriptions!! If this book doesn't make you want to travel out West, I'm not sure what is wrong with you... ...more

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Aug 30, 2021 Christie Bane rated it really liked it

YA is not my genre at all, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one anyway. The lessons: cults are bad (whether they initially seem to be good or bad — they’re all bad), love is good, sometimes the love interest who you don’t trust turns out to be decent after all, whether you drain your Essence or not has nothing at all to do with how long you live, and Yosemite is beautiful, whether it’s the Yosemite of right now or the abandoned Yosemite of 2038 where this book is set.

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Aug 27, 2020 Jessica (The Psychotic Nerd) marked it as dnf

Shelves: strange-chemistry-and-angry-robot, dystopian-and-post-apocalyptic

I made it 12% in before giving up.

I found the cult aspect of this book interesting, but I quickly realized that the focus of the book was instead going to be about the MC finding some hot guys and getting into dangerous situations. It's just not my cup of tea, so I'm going to set this book aside. ...more

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Mar 15, 2020 Ria Bridges rated it liked it

I have conflicting feelings about this novel. On one hand, it makes some very good commentary about cults, human tendencies to extremes, flawed methods of thinking, and it exposes its intended audience to the idea that a person can drink alcohol and try drugs and have sex and not actually be a terrible person for it. On the other hand, so very little actually happens in this book, and most of the time it feels like the very interesting setting and situation was just put on hold in order to be a I have conflicting feelings about this novel. On one hand, it makes some very good commentary about cults, human tendencies to extremes, flawed methods of thinking, and it exposes its intended audience to the idea that a person can drink alcohol and try drugs and have sex and not actually be a terrible person for it. On the other hand, so very little actually happens in this book, and most of the time it feels like the very interesting setting and situation was just put on hold in order to be a backdrop to a typical teenage romance between an uncertain girl and a bad boy. Which is a real shame because there’s so much that this book says that’s worth saying and worth hearing, but it just gets overshadowed so much by the less-than-interesting romantic subplot.

The story starts with Autumn, a teenager who is part of the Centrist movement that emphasizes neutrality of emotion and lifestyle as the key to a long life. Autumn has just lost her little brother to an accident, and her grief and dissatisfaction makes her lash out and eventually choose to leave the movement, especially after a chance meeting with teens outside the movement who tell her that the rest of the world is full of adventure and fun and the ability to actually deal with things instead of suppressing them. She and a few others decide to go with the group and experience the Community, which seems to be less of a cohesive community so much as it’s an anti-Centrist group, run by a man who used to be a Centrist but now has dedicated his life to proving it wrong and damaging. Which doesn’t sound so bad on the surface, until it becomes clear that the way most people there approach this is to do dangerous and wild things, to avoid moderation at all cost. The Community has a darker side to it, too, one that’s considerably less well-meaning than rescuing people from a cult, and its leader will stop at nothing to defend his own ideologies.

It’s not hard to see where the brilliant social commentary comes in to play. Most of the book goes by before Autumn realizes the dangers of blindly following the Community way instead of the Centrist way, but the reader figures it out long before. And Autumn is not a stupid character; she puts things together fairly quickly, is insightful, but just gets lost in a fast-paced world that offers an endorphin rush that she’s never experienced before. It’s a heady trip to come down from. Which is one of the things that I found so impressive about Essence. While most YA novels will, at some point, deal with lust, few actually go further and state that the protagonist had sex. Unless, of course, it’s true love and they’ve been together for a while. Fewer still will have the protagonist experiment with drugs like ecstasy, unless the novel is an attempt to show drug culture and the whole point is to show the wild side of the world and how much it can mess a person up even though it’s fun. And yes, Essence does have that message, that focusing on having a wild time isn’t always the best idea, but it also shows that someone can experiment a time or two and not end up as a junkie. It’s rare for me to see that in YA speculative fiction, even now when society is getting more permissive with both sex and drugs. So I have to give O’Kane thanks for including those scenes in the way she did.

The romantic aspect of this novel is understandable, but rather dull. There’s an early triangle set up as Autumn feels attracted both to Ryder (the Community leader’s son) and Javi (a boy who left the Centrist movement with Autumn), but Javi quickly falls out of favour as Autumn gets deeper in with the crowd that likes pushing their limits. And while there is more to Ryder than just the classic bad boy with a heart of gold, I just couldn’t get into his character. I can see Autumn felt drawn to him, but it was as though the adrenaline rush was the driving force behind their relationship, and that just didn’t interest me. Which is problematic when much of the book is devoted to exploring said relationship’s development with a much more compelling story going on all around and behind them.

The idea of Essence in the novel is an interesting one that was played with on both sides of the Centrist/Community divide. The idea is that every person is born with a finite amount of an immeasurable thing called Essence, and that when it runs out, your time is up. You die. You get sick, or have an accident, but either way it’s the universe’s way of telling you that you’re out of time. There’s no way of knowing when this can happen, because nobody knows how much Essence they have. The Centrists believe that neutrality and moderation are the keys to conserving Essence, and avoid situations that might make them emotional, excited, or even happy about the taste of delicious food because that can be a drain on a person’s Essence and cause them to creep closer to death that much more quickly. The Community approach says that there’s no such thing and Essence, and their leader carefully monitors the heart rates and hormone levels of its members to prove that there’s no correlation between excitation and Essence drain.

And what gets me is that nobody notices the flaw in this argument. Autumn comes close when she points out that a death in the Community could have been caused by that person’s Essence running out, because there’s no way of proving how much they had, but that line of questioning is shut down quickly because look, this person went out and did fun stuff and got excited sometimes, and that didn’t do anything to hurt her, so the whole Essence thing must be BS after all. But it would have been so easy to point out that because there’s no way of measuring Essence, there’s thus absolutely no way of proving that a lack of neutrality doesn’t make it drain more quickly. A person’s Essence could have run out and they can die in an accident, but with a lack of conclusive proof on either side, someone clinging to the Centrist argument could readily say that the person could have lived longer if they hadn’t done all the emotional things they did. But that side of the argument never once gets raised, at least not once Autumn has left the movement. It’s taken for granted that proving someone can raise their heart rate a few times and not die will disprove that Essence exists at all. I can see that thought process being discouraged, but for nobody to even debate it idly, or for it to never be mentioned seemed like a bit of denial being forced upon the reader. I can think of a handful of characters who were likely to bring that point up but who never did. It didn’t seem to occur to anyone.

Essence is an unusual novel in that it doesn’t really fit into any of the typical categorizations for SFF. The near-future society in which the story takes place has its differences from our own, and on small scales it could be perhaps be called pseudo-dystopian, but unlike much dystopian fiction, so little emphasis is placed on the society and an escape from it that the book seems awkward when compared to many others. Not all YA SFF novels have to contain world-shattering events, but there’s almost no difference between Essence and many contemporary YA novels except for the setting. Which would be fine, but as I mentioned earlier, the setting was the most interesting part and it got overshadowed by a lackluster romance, and I felt that much of the novel’s potential went undeveloped as a result. O’Kane’s writing style, at least, was quite smooth and descriptive, her pacing even, and her ability to write about controversial things without making them seem controversial or like the reader is getting beaten about the head with a moral message ought to be praised. I’m a bit curious to see where the story will go in the future, but seeing as how it was stated pretty explicitly that both the Centrists and the Community were pocket groups and not indicative of worldwide religious movements or ideologies, I can’t see too many places that it could go that don’t involve people bringing the police into things and breaking up at least the Community cult. I think I’ll wait to see what other reviews say of any sequels before making the decision to read them; there’s always the chance that greater development will happen and things will occur that could surprise me, but I think it would involve some suspension of disbelief to really take off.

(Book received in exchange for an honest review.) ...more

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May 25, 2014 Christa Seeley rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss

This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic

Cults are fascinating. They’re horrible and frightening as well but as an outsider looking in you can’t help but be intrigued. How did it start? What convinced people to join? And more importantly what makes them stay. But despite the curiosity around them I’ve only ever read one other YA novel – Escape From Eden – that takes the reader inside a cult.

Essence is an interesting approach to the cult narrative because it tackles two significant el ...more

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Jul 11, 2014 Chrissy (The Every Free Chance Reader) rated it liked it

Did I enjoy this book: I'm conflicted.

I liked it (finished it in two days, actually), but I’m not sure if I like it because O’Kane’s written a good book, or if it’s because Essence reminds me a lot (and I mean A LOT) of Divergent. It’s nearly the same plot — girl leaves one culty-type lifestyle and joins another, only to find out things aren’t exactly what she expected. She falls in love with the lead hottie, makes some bad choices, and ultimately figures things out. The details are different — ...more

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May 05, 2014 Laura rated it did not like it

Shelves: young-adult, ebook, didn-t-finish, netgalley

A girl growing up in a cult that believes emotions drain your lifeforce begins to question her faith after her brother’s death. That part was kinda interesting, but when she leaves and is scooped up by opposite-cult of adrenaline junkies, it looses steam.

I was frustrated by how little she examines her new community, their motives and the obvious secrets. And I hated how the adults encourage teens in reckless and even deadly behavior, as well as her icky "romance" with the cult-leader's son (hey ...more

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Jun 27, 2014 Eugene rated it really liked it

"Essence," Lisa O'Kane's debut novel, is fun and fast and incredibly descriptive. The story and writing are strong (her depiction of how a character feels after a sexual encounter is sensitive and very real). Yosemite comes to life and even serves as another character in O'Kane's writing. And once you are in the story, it moves you to keep turning and find out how Autumn survives--or more. I really enjoyed reading this YA even though I'm a bit older than that now. Her descriptions of the adrenal ...more

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Sep 19, 2013 Shallee McArthur rated it really liked it · review of another edition

So. This book. This book is lush. It's adventurous. It's a little heartbreaking. And it's a haunting look into the mind of a girl raised in a cult who doesn't know how to escape the lifestyle, even when she tries. I loved it so much. Autumn was not just a great character, but a look into the mind of someone who really doesn't understand what life can be outside of someone else's control. I loved her arc, her mistakes, and her discoveries. I loved her wonder and her bravery. I just loved this boo ...more

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Sep 19, 2013 Beth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya

What a fun, fast-paced, adrenaline filled read! I was really fascinated by the inside look at the two cults Autumn found herself in, and then by the way she pulled herself out. The love story component was fresh and unique, and like Autumn, at first I found myself NOT digging Ryder, but by the end I was a goner for him. I want to know what happens next!

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Jun 14, 2014 Jennifer Kilmurray rated it really liked it

Wow! What a great ride! I've never been to Yellowstone but I sure feel like I've been there now. The imagery and freshness of the writing was perfect for the subject matter and brought to life with Autumn and Ryder's wild romance. I'm very disappointed this won't be a series. I sincerely hope this author considers creating a novella or blog post series. I can't wait to see what she'll write next! ...more

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About Lisa Ann O'Kane

Lisa Ann O'Kane

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Lisa Ann O’Kane is a young adult author and former vagabond who once camped out in Yosemite National Park for an entire summer, an experience that inspired her debut novel ESSENCE.

Her background is in zookeeping and environmental education, and she has been kicked, cornered, bitten and chased by nearly every animal she has ever loved. She currently resides in Florida, and she is now a huge fan of ...more