Shine: A Novel

Shine #1

by William Bernhardt

In the near future, a few young women manifest extraordinary abilities called "Shine." Each girl's ability is different. Some develop unusual mental abilities. Some become physically powerful. Others have talents that defy description. But the world does not embrace these Shines. It fears them.

Aura was only trying to use her healing powers to help a small child. But when she Shined, something went horribly wrong--and Seattle was destroyed. In the aftermath of this disaster, the government institutionalizes Shines in "rehabilitative treatment centers." Aura is sent to the Transforming Your Light island rehab--but to her it seems more like a prison. The other Shines hate her. The people running the place are out to get her. And she feels certain more is going on here than "group grope" and twelve-step sessions. But when she tumbles onto the horrible secret lurking beneath the rehab--she realizes just how great the danger to her and the other Shines really is.

Aura resolves to escape before it's too late. But she can only do that if she organizes the Shines, persuades them to work together, and overcomes the deadly opposition she only barely understands.

Genres: Science Fiction

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 7, 2013

About the author

William Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.

In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.

Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”

In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”

In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.

When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Pages: 372

Amazon

I was presented a free copy of this book from the author. Thank you so much! All opinions are my own.

In the near future, a few young women manifest extraordinary abilities called "Shine." Each girl's ability is different. Some develop unusual mental abilities. Some become physically powerful. Others have talents that defy description. But the world does not embrace these Shines. It fears them. Aura tried to use her healing powers to help a small child. But when she Shined, something went horribly wrong--and Seattle was destroyed. In the aftermath of this disaster, the government institutionalizes Shines in "rehabilitative treatment centers." Aura is sent to the Transforming Your Light island rehab--but to her it seems more like a prison. The other Shines hate her. The people running the place are out to get her. And she feels certain more is going on here than "group grope" and twelve-step sessions. But when she tumbles onto the horrible secret lurking beneath the rehab--she realizes just how great the danger to her and the other Shines really is. Aura resolves to escape before it's too late. But she can only do that if she organizes the Shines, persuades them to work together, and overcomes the deadly opposition she only barely understands. - Amazon.com

Another book I received and I have to say that while it is one of my new favorite genres, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I thought the writing overall was fantastic and the plot and pacing were very well developed. The book had some great moments and if it weren't for my few issues I would have highly enjoyed the book.

I felt that there were a lot of characters to remember and I got easily confused. I also wanted more backstories to the characters and I felt they could be better developed overall. Although the main is wonderfully well developed and I felt that this compensated somewhat for the other characters.

Verdict: If you're a fan of sci-fi then this series is the one for you! It's an interesting concept and overall it's a pretty good book!

[Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It caught my attention.

When I heard about this new series my curiosity was piqued by the idea of a story told in installments. Bernhardt explains that he is using Dickens as inspiration for publishing in this way. However, the method of publication is where the similarities with Dickens end. The next thing that made me want to read this was the comic-book-style art of the cover. I also watched the "trailer" for this series in youtube and was blown away by the creativity of using a comic book style presentation to get readers to join this quest.

So I jumped in, and I am glad I did! the story is told in typical novel form, but once you start reading it you realize that the actual plot feel like a comic. The premise is really ingenious, with girls having superpowers (Shines), all of them different, and with no one knowing why they get them. This group of girls is in hot waters because of catastrophic events in Seattle that seem to be related to one of them. Aura, the main character, is a Shine that is taken to a facility in which they are going to study the girls and determine which is the best course of action.

Soon enough we find conspiracies going on, which makes this a high-pace read. I really enjoyed the way in which the author crafted each of the character's personalities and abilities. As the actions ramps up things get more serious and by the end of this installment we are looking forward to finding more about what's to come. I wasn't sure how good of an idea was to publish a series of installments as part of a novel, but for now I am completely on board. Bring on the next one!

[Kat Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging read, very fast paced and full of action. The characters are well written and the world building is incredibly well done. I enjoyed the alternate swearing. My only criticism is that author clearly has never been a teenage girl and it shows in the writing, sometimes suspending my ability to be immersed in the book because of how unlike a teenage girl the characters act. They tend to revert to stereotypes instead of the reality of a group of girls being hunted. However, that does get resolved closer to the end of the book.

[I'd So Rather Be Reading {Nat} · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shine series is one of those that really took me by surprise. For one, I'm not a huge fan of novellas. Secondly, the paranormal genre is getting a little old for me. And lastly, I broke one of my cardinal reading rules by reading these books out of order. Gasp! I read book six before any of the others. William Bernhardt wrote the first five installments in the Shine series and invited other authors to continue the series.

This review is for book one, Childhood's End. I was excited to see how the Shine saga started, and how the Shines came about. The premise of the Shines---young girls with different superhero powers---is catchy and inventive.

I love that these books focus on strong female lead characters. I can't abide weak, indecisive lead characters, and so I really enjoyed reading Aura's story. She's smart, strong and capable.

Childhood's End is a short book but there's a lot of story packed into this novella. I found it thrilling and read it in one sitting. I love the Shine premise and look forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Dominique · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for this review. I must say that I have not finished the book. While the first chapter was captivating, action packed and with lots of details I soon felt stopped in my envy to read the rest. I was really enjoying the 1st chapter but I had to push trough to half the book before stopping my reading. I did not find the characters really developed, they are, to me, unidimensional. I’d say that the main character is a shallow teenager that can manage only one emotion/thought at a time and while many time the others characters around her called her intelligent or bright, I did not thought so. I did not find myself in her or to any other characters. The pace of the book is too slow for me, the first half of the book could have been resume in maybe 5 chapters instead of 35. I felt I had to keep on reading to find a twinge of the 1st chapter back but I finally dropped and decided my time was not worth continuing this book. There was some good ideas in the book but I think they were not used to their full potential. I may try and find other book from this author to see what he has to propose.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author.

Shine is a science fiction action novel that reminded me of a good superhero movie with a decent plot. It was complex, well developed story that takes place in a world where females are given the ability to "Shine." Shine refers to the ability to exhibit superhuman powers. This isn't just the story of how a group of young woman with these powers lives in a world where people are out to get them because she possesses these powers. The author also tells the story of how very different women from different backgrounds bond together to fight against the evil in their new world. There were some aspects of the book that include torture that some may find disturbing. Ultimately, in the end, the girls accept who they are and try to use their newfound powers for good. Creative approach to the different personalities of the characters and their respective Shines, to include how their Shines complement each other. Overall, enjoyable read and would recommend to anyone interested in science fiction action novels or novels about superheros. Reminded me of the X-Men.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely an interesting read, especially for those between the ages of 14-17. Although the somewhat graphic violence and the over-sexualisation of characters like Agent Coal, Dr. Emily Coutant and Mark Maddox have me leaning towards recommending this book to a slightly older audience.

My only real criticisms are that:
- Despite Shine being written from the perspective of Aura, a teenage girl, I found her perspective somewhat hard to believe because of how unlike a teenager she was, especially when describing her emotions or her descriptions of those around her. At times i felt more like I was reading descriptions and observations from an older male.
- The alternate swearing: Using words or phrases like "what the flick?" and "oh my Ghandi!", but also including words like "b***h" and "w***e". I had trouble telling whether characters were deliberately censoring themselves or if words like "f**k" and "s**t" weren't actually a part of their world.

[Jossie Solheim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up on this one after reading the first chapter of part two. The idea is good but sadly the author lacked the skill to pull it all together. This is clearly written by someone who hasn’t got a clue about teenage girls and how they think and act. And it doesn’t come across as very realistic, I can’t stand fantasy/ science fiction books that think because of the genre they can get away with anything. Wrong, it still has to be believable and taking a load of teens to a gruesome crime scene where not only has one of their friends been killed but there’s a huge mob out for these girls blood is highly suspect.
I didn’t like or care about the characters either, and only kept reading as far as I did, because the idea was intriguing. This really wasn’t for me.

[Elissa Bostick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through voraciousreadersonly.com. I found the premise to be compelling, however, I felt that the characters lacked a certain depth. I really would have liked to have a bit more of a back story on all of the characters. I found the main character to be very realistic, as a teenage girl. I found the story line with all of the different antagonists difficult to keep straight. I am hoping to see how the sequel (?) turns out. The ending leads me to believe that there should be a sequel.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through voraciousreadersonly.com. The premise of the book is interesting and original, which is what drew me to request a copy of it from the author. The beginning of the story was a little slow for me and I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it, but I rarely give up on a book, so I persisted and the story did indeed improve. I did end up caring about the characters and am interested to see what happens with the multiple plot lines (Chief/Trent/Ohm) as related to Aura and her TYL counterparts. Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to a sequel.

[Emma Quinlan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through voracious readers only, it started off a bit slowly and I found the language a bit irritating at times ‘thank ghandi’ , ‘razor’ etc.
I found myself having to force myself to carry on reading at times but It did pick up and I found myself quite enjoying it, although I was a bit disappointed with the ending.
I have looked at the synopsis for the next book but can see no mention of Aura so wonder if the story carries on or whether it just continues with different shines.
I don’t think I will bother reading the other books in the series.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from voraciousreadersonly.com. Bernhardt has certainly come up with an original premise where teenage girls have 'superpowers' called Shine, only each Shine is different. I'm not to hot on science so a lot of this went over my head; someone who knows more about science than me will probably give it a higher rating. I feel that this isn't the end of the story and I would be interested in finding out what happens to the Shines.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I usually am constantly guessing what’s going to happen in a story before it does but this book struck me with some surprises. It was really different to other plots I had read before and I loved it. Some of the language was hard for me to understand as there was some slang in it that I hadn’t heard before but all in all was worth the read.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via VRO.

I loved this story! Unique concept, and I enjoyed the writing style. The story moved quickly and I was eager to see what happened next. It was a bit reminiscent of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, which I love.

The characters did seem a little underdeveloped but I found this didn't detract from my enjoyment at all, as the action was so strong.

[Rhiannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Characters have developed special abilities called ‘Shine’ but it is some females only... which leads to the interesting plot design around discrimination, power and fearmongering among mobs. Will be checking to see if this book is followed as there was a classic cliffhanger ending!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would, a page turner, story held up better than I thought it would, My only complaint would be that I don’t think there was enough back story If any to the other girls that Aura led.
I will be getting the next book in the series, as I have been hooked. For those that like Sci-fi Young adult fiction. This is a must read.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of Shine from the author through Voracious Readers Only.

I very much enjoyed the premise, young women developing powers or Shine, which manifests different abilities to each girl. I found the main character, Aura, compelling and easy to like. The other girls had their moments as well.

I enjoyed Shine, though found the ending to be a little unsatisfying.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from voracious readers only in exchange for a review

Shine is a fun, 'potato chip' style read - a pretty entertaining YA novel.
There were definitely some tropes trotted out. There were some very obvious set-ups taking place, but overall I enjoyed the book.
Would I read it more than once? Probably not.

[Cabiria Aquarius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aura’s story was such an intense one and such plot twists and amazing details to everything. Awe-inspiring rollercoaster ride. I was so captivated by the story and everything that was happening.
What a ride.

I’m shaking, that quaked my being. It had me so into it. I can’t believe it’s over.

[Katrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m at 25% and really don’t want to carry on reading. What’s with all the ‘good ghandi’ instead of good god?? This book is driving me nuts. The MC is just not likeable enough for me to carry on reading.

[Christine Kempton · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was an interesting book. I enjoyed the build up to the climax of the story. Although it did drag in places the story was strong enough to pull you through the slower parts. However, the ending left more questions then answers and I really really REALLY hope there is more to this story!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the pace of the book ,it made me want to keep reading.however I could not read big chunks at once and started to go backwards and forwards to it .Would read more from this author. Small problem kept forgetting who was who had to flick back

[Megan Rang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through voraciousreadersonly.com. This book is all that I expected and more. It had really interesting characters and left me wanting more!!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, fast paced and the characters were interesting.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, though I found their 'slang' words a bit confusing. The plot of the book was gripping and had some great twists. I really liked all the characters.

[Shelby Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love dystopian books, and this one didn’t disappoint! Fast paced, and it all made sense in the end. I loved all the gory ideas and especially the strong women presented. I really enjoyed it.

[SMHF Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was captivated and I enjoyed the book.

[Hannah-Louise Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so amazing, the power meets xmen
Was a little fast in some places but dammmmmn very well written

[Vicky Quenault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shine is a great story with really interesting characters. It starts off with a scene that introduces the protagonist and gives you real insight into who she is and whats important to her. It stumbles a little after the initial scene and in places is a little too wordy when talking about the political acts etc. If you push through that small part the story picks up and pulls you in, making you care about the characters and their fates. Cant wait to find out what happens to them all next!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Voracious Readers in return for an honest review.

[Sonia Knippshild · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book. I like scifi mutant kind of stuff so it was perfect for me. Certainly a lot of action. May be a little too violent in places for some readers. I hope this is a series!