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The Invisible Tether
Cooper Belrose and his friends gear up for a sporting tournament in tropical North Queensland (Australia) for a week of carefree fun. In an unnerving twist of fate, a cryptic flight attendant hijacks the plane, altering their lives forever.
After surviving the plane crash, Cooper and his friends learn the flight attendant was part of a much larger threat, not only to their existence but to the entire human race. In their desperation to return home and find answers, they discover abnormal abilities within themselves activated by the crash and the threat of an opposing force.
Will these newfound abilities wield an edge over their enemies?
As they strive to combat each twist and turn, Cooper and his friends learn the value of teamwork by navigating the space between life and death. If faced with an imminent threat to the human race, would you and your friends take up the fight?
"The Invisible Tether," is a story of love, adventure and the pursuit of truth.
After surviving the plane crash, Cooper and his friends learn the flight attendant was part of a much larger threat, not only to their existence but to the entire human race. In their desperation to return home and find answers, they discover abnormal abilities within themselves activated by the crash and the threat of an opposing force.
Will these newfound abilities wield an edge over their enemies?
As they strive to combat each twist and turn, Cooper and his friends learn the value of teamwork by navigating the space between life and death. If faced with an imminent threat to the human race, would you and your friends take up the fight?
"The Invisible Tether," is a story of love, adventure and the pursuit of truth.
- GenresScience Fiction
362 pages, Paperback
Published December 7, 2021
3 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
J.P. McDonald
4 books47 followersJP lives in Western Sydney with his family and an army of puppies.
Before publishing Sci-fi adventure novels, JP focused on writing songs for the melancholy masses and in complete contrast, also developed vibrant and catchy children's songs.
JP has published a space opera duology and a standalone scifi adventure.
You can find him posting bookish parody videos on social media, planting native bush foods in his backyard and chasing the sun through rivers and national park trails.
Before publishing Sci-fi adventure novels, JP focused on writing songs for the melancholy masses and in complete contrast, also developed vibrant and catchy children's songs.
JP has published a space opera duology and a standalone scifi adventure.
You can find him posting bookish parody videos on social media, planting native bush foods in his backyard and chasing the sun through rivers and national park trails.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 4, 2023
This is another author that very graciously sent me a copy for my reading enjoyment. I was excited to read the blurb for this one because I don’t really see too much indie scifi and that was pretty cool. I think this would be best pegged as scifi/thriller, but like action thrilling, not mystery thrilling. Scifi action thriller. That’s a thing right?
Let me tell you, this book has some unbelievable nonstop action. I mean, 99% of it. Also some unbelievable violence too, and I mean like horror genre level too. In between all of the eye-popping, “are you serious” bits, it’s also filled with a lot of heart. Or rather, a lot of heartbreaking sadness. Like down to the very depths of your being, sadness. But where else could the death of loved ones take you in a novel that is for the most part about love being our saving grace?
In a perhaps near future world where cloning humans has not only become a possibility, but a truth, where would you go? What would you do? Beings that are as strong as us, smart as us, look just like us, probably won’t take lightly to being a lesser science experiment for long…
If I had to highlight one gripe of mine (in the hopes of being constructive with my criticism) the author here used an unbelievable amount of metaphors, similes, and imagery in what is perhaps striving towards being a distinct voice or as descriptors. They were not necessarily bad, but in places it could be very distracting and take away from the action or a hard hitting section.
If any of this sounds interesting to you, please follow the author and check out the link in his Instagram bio for the book and it’s also available online (Amazon and the like)!
Let me tell you, this book has some unbelievable nonstop action. I mean, 99% of it. Also some unbelievable violence too, and I mean like horror genre level too. In between all of the eye-popping, “are you serious” bits, it’s also filled with a lot of heart. Or rather, a lot of heartbreaking sadness. Like down to the very depths of your being, sadness. But where else could the death of loved ones take you in a novel that is for the most part about love being our saving grace?
In a perhaps near future world where cloning humans has not only become a possibility, but a truth, where would you go? What would you do? Beings that are as strong as us, smart as us, look just like us, probably won’t take lightly to being a lesser science experiment for long…
If I had to highlight one gripe of mine (in the hopes of being constructive with my criticism) the author here used an unbelievable amount of metaphors, similes, and imagery in what is perhaps striving towards being a distinct voice or as descriptors. They were not necessarily bad, but in places it could be very distracting and take away from the action or a hard hitting section.
If any of this sounds interesting to you, please follow the author and check out the link in his Instagram bio for the book and it’s also available online (Amazon and the like)!
October 10, 2023
The author's debut novel tells the story of a group of young adults who embark on a plane trip for a week of fun and games, in tropical North Queensland, Australia. Everything goes awry when the plane is hijacked and it crashes in the middle of nowhere.
They soon learn that the human race is an imminent threat from vicious enemies, with an army of clones on their tracks and find themselves possessing super powers.
Will they be able to control and channel these newly acquired powers to save humanity from extinction? There will be first love, friendship, found family, introspection, self-knowledge, losses, grief, fundamental questions, a lot of answers, ethical issues.What do you do when both the angel and the devil sit on your shoulders? Who do you choose to follow?
Thoughts:
✨ This is such an amazing story on so many levels. What started as a cute story about friendship, turned into a fast-paced sci-fi.
✨ Love is Love!
✨ Karma is a b|π¢|{!
✨ I felt so sad for Cooper, the people pleaser, who cheered everyone and listened to their problems, but wasn't reciprocated. Ppl, have bilateral relationships, don't settle for less!
✨ Live without hurting other species, we are all here for a reason.
✨ In my second year in college I took a course on Evolutionary biology. One theory was that the Big Bang and life were built on high entropy (chaos and disorder). So we are all built in chaos. Always find that something or someone that can bring calm to your chaos.
✨ Life is not about white and black, it's about all that gray shades in between (50 Shades of Gray 🤣), about making choices and choosing the people you want in your life.
✨ The slow burn between Zoey & Cooper 🫠❤️
✨ Cabbage rolls for comfort food 🤩🤘
✨"We are all human, so we are all flawed.". Reminder to myself: make a "Beautifully flawed" T-shirt 🤭
✨ THE EPILOGUE 🤯🤯🤯
"Humans could find beauty within, if channeled correctly."
"I liked rag dolls and furless teddy bears, but I lived in a world full of Barbie dolls and Matchbox cars that were never taken out of the box."
"The spiritual connection that I had to nature, to the earth, to animals: they called to me with a forcefull voice in the deep recesses of my fractured soul."
"Sometimes we build our lives from the memories of our loved ones, carrying pieces of them to help strengthen the foundation."
"We are all human, so we are all flawed."
"Everything we do is to preserve love."
They soon learn that the human race is an imminent threat from vicious enemies, with an army of clones on their tracks and find themselves possessing super powers.
Will they be able to control and channel these newly acquired powers to save humanity from extinction? There will be first love, friendship, found family, introspection, self-knowledge, losses, grief, fundamental questions, a lot of answers, ethical issues.What do you do when both the angel and the devil sit on your shoulders? Who do you choose to follow?
Thoughts:
✨ This is such an amazing story on so many levels. What started as a cute story about friendship, turned into a fast-paced sci-fi.
✨ Love is Love!
✨ Karma is a b|π¢|{!
✨ I felt so sad for Cooper, the people pleaser, who cheered everyone and listened to their problems, but wasn't reciprocated. Ppl, have bilateral relationships, don't settle for less!
✨ Live without hurting other species, we are all here for a reason.
✨ In my second year in college I took a course on Evolutionary biology. One theory was that the Big Bang and life were built on high entropy (chaos and disorder). So we are all built in chaos. Always find that something or someone that can bring calm to your chaos.
✨ Life is not about white and black, it's about all that gray shades in between (50 Shades of Gray 🤣), about making choices and choosing the people you want in your life.
✨ The slow burn between Zoey & Cooper 🫠❤️
✨ Cabbage rolls for comfort food 🤩🤘
✨"We are all human, so we are all flawed.". Reminder to myself: make a "Beautifully flawed" T-shirt 🤭
✨ THE EPILOGUE 🤯🤯🤯
"Humans could find beauty within, if channeled correctly."
"I liked rag dolls and furless teddy bears, but I lived in a world full of Barbie dolls and Matchbox cars that were never taken out of the box."
"The spiritual connection that I had to nature, to the earth, to animals: they called to me with a forcefull voice in the deep recesses of my fractured soul."
"Sometimes we build our lives from the memories of our loved ones, carrying pieces of them to help strengthen the foundation."
"We are all human, so we are all flawed."
"Everything we do is to preserve love."
December 23, 2023
Action-packed literary goodness that kept me on the edge of my seat!
December 5, 2021
A great coming of age sci-fi by a self published author.
A group of young adults lives change after their plane is hijacked, crashes and things are no longer as they were.
As they sort through their individual changes and what is happening in their world, they must learn to work together for the greater good, even though they don’t really know what they’re up against.
All this while navigating their personal journey’s, relationships and moments of ‘Can I/Should I do this?’
A solid debut with thanks to the author for an ARC.
A group of young adults lives change after their plane is hijacked, crashes and things are no longer as they were.
As they sort through their individual changes and what is happening in their world, they must learn to work together for the greater good, even though they don’t really know what they’re up against.
All this while navigating their personal journey’s, relationships and moments of ‘Can I/Should I do this?’
A solid debut with thanks to the author for an ARC.
September 22, 2022
A fantastic new Sci-Fi!
This book was spectacular! It took me by surprise.
It's completely different to what I'm normally reading, but I'm so glad I took the time to read it.
A coming of age novel steeped in Sci-Fi. Set in a town that is thrust into a premature dystopia, with clones and terrorists and unknown threats.
A group of young adults having to fight for their survival, all while navigating a strange new world, strange new powers and new relationships and feelings.
Love, death, loss, all such a huge burden on one's so young to have to wade through with little to no help.
It gave me strong Tomorrow When The War Began and Maze Runner vibes.
It's highly entertaining and fast paced.
Having a character named Nikki was cool. It's not very often our name will come up, and especially with the same spelling. Was super cool to me.
The authors world building descriptions were so vibrant and captivating!
The characters were witty and had such different but complex personalities. Was refreshing to read. Definitely no one dimensional characters here!
A fantastic debut novel from a fellow Australian @jpmcdonaldwrites 👏
This book was spectacular! It took me by surprise.
It's completely different to what I'm normally reading, but I'm so glad I took the time to read it.
A coming of age novel steeped in Sci-Fi. Set in a town that is thrust into a premature dystopia, with clones and terrorists and unknown threats.
A group of young adults having to fight for their survival, all while navigating a strange new world, strange new powers and new relationships and feelings.
Love, death, loss, all such a huge burden on one's so young to have to wade through with little to no help.
It gave me strong Tomorrow When The War Began and Maze Runner vibes.
It's highly entertaining and fast paced.
Having a character named Nikki was cool. It's not very often our name will come up, and especially with the same spelling. Was super cool to me.
The authors world building descriptions were so vibrant and captivating!
The characters were witty and had such different but complex personalities. Was refreshing to read. Definitely no one dimensional characters here!
A fantastic debut novel from a fellow Australian @jpmcdonaldwrites 👏
August 2, 2022
Rating 4.5/5
Let me start with saying that this book was highly entertaining; and it kept my attention from start to finish. First off the plot and the conflict, what seems like an ordinary trip soon takes a turn when the plane crashes in the Australian bush, and they soon realize that things are about to take a turn for the worse and the strange. For the sake of keeping the review spoiler free, they discover something that they never thought that they would have to deal with while working to find a solution to a problem much bigger than themselves. Secondly, the characters; they worked well together but it was not always go team; there were arguments and conflicts among the core group, differing opinions and ideas. Alongside their internal thoughts that made their journey a lot more believable, and gave them depth and personality with their character strengths and weaknesses. Overall this book is a very well done and fast paced and sci-fi adventure with a touch of found family mixed in there.
Let me start with saying that this book was highly entertaining; and it kept my attention from start to finish. First off the plot and the conflict, what seems like an ordinary trip soon takes a turn when the plane crashes in the Australian bush, and they soon realize that things are about to take a turn for the worse and the strange. For the sake of keeping the review spoiler free, they discover something that they never thought that they would have to deal with while working to find a solution to a problem much bigger than themselves. Secondly, the characters; they worked well together but it was not always go team; there were arguments and conflicts among the core group, differing opinions and ideas. Alongside their internal thoughts that made their journey a lot more believable, and gave them depth and personality with their character strengths and weaknesses. Overall this book is a very well done and fast paced and sci-fi adventure with a touch of found family mixed in there.
December 23, 2023
•The Invisible Tether is an action packed thriller with a wide, diverse cast of characters. It’s the heart pounding scifi blend of the show YellowJackets and Jordan Peele’s Us.
-What I appreciated most about the character was, despite the extraordinary conflict, some characters struggled with their own personal anxieties. While the major conflict is center stage, the personal anxieties do not take a backseat to this. The characters were realistic and felt like a real group of friends.
-The plot was intense and fast paced. After the inciting incident, I found my mind wandering a little. However this didn’t last long the more I read. While I wasn’t emotionally invested from the jump, the more time I spent with the characters the more I cared.
•Overall I would totally recommend this to fans of intense, emotionally charged, scifi thrillers. It’s a unique journey through the Australian bush that will have you seeing double.
-What I appreciated most about the character was, despite the extraordinary conflict, some characters struggled with their own personal anxieties. While the major conflict is center stage, the personal anxieties do not take a backseat to this. The characters were realistic and felt like a real group of friends.
-The plot was intense and fast paced. After the inciting incident, I found my mind wandering a little. However this didn’t last long the more I read. While I wasn’t emotionally invested from the jump, the more time I spent with the characters the more I cared.
•Overall I would totally recommend this to fans of intense, emotionally charged, scifi thrillers. It’s a unique journey through the Australian bush that will have you seeing double.
July 7, 2023
The Invisible Tether is an action packed, emotionally charged rollercoaster of a story with plenty of unexpected twists along the way.
Our MC Cooper and all the other characters are complex, realistic and relatable. Their lives are turned upside down when their plane is hijacked and crashes in the middle of the Australian bush, but that’s not all the fate has in store for them. This very frightening scenario gets even more frightening and intense very quickly.
I recommend this story to any lovers of sci-fi adventure with colourful descriptions and a hint of romance!
Our MC Cooper and all the other characters are complex, realistic and relatable. Their lives are turned upside down when their plane is hijacked and crashes in the middle of the Australian bush, but that’s not all the fate has in store for them. This very frightening scenario gets even more frightening and intense very quickly.
I recommend this story to any lovers of sci-fi adventure with colourful descriptions and a hint of romance!
December 12, 2021
*review cross posted from Instagram* As soon as I started reading this, it gave me ‘Tomorrow when the war began’ vibes. JP’s writing style gave me big John Marsden nostalgia feels.
JP has a way with words, with his beautiful words painting a picture in my head of all the locations that they visit - it took me back to my childhood years and my hiding places I would have.
The fast paced action kept me flipping pages.
A solid debut novel that leaves me waiting for JP’s next page turner. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
JP has a way with words, with his beautiful words painting a picture in my head of all the locations that they visit - it took me back to my childhood years and my hiding places I would have.
The fast paced action kept me flipping pages.
A solid debut novel that leaves me waiting for JP’s next page turner. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 27, 2023
I went into this book not knowing anything about the book (I do this with most books), and quite genuinely chose to read this on a plane.
This was quite a fun read.
4.5/5
This was quite a fun read.
4.5/5
February 1, 2022
The Invisible Tether is an action packed SCI-FI novel, written with loads of colourful descriptions and philosophical inner thoughts.
This story will make you question your existence!
The fact that the surviving friends all end up with magical powers is super cool.
I love that the Blue Mountains were mentioned because it took me back home and gave me a personal connection to that particular part of the story. I spent a chunk of my life living in the Blue Mountains. Coffs Harbor was also mentioned, and I spent a couple of years living there, too. I have family all over Coffs.
Plus… I found it funny that there was a Nikki in this book - yet another connection. 👌🏻
This story will make you question your existence!
The fact that the surviving friends all end up with magical powers is super cool.
I love that the Blue Mountains were mentioned because it took me back home and gave me a personal connection to that particular part of the story. I spent a chunk of my life living in the Blue Mountains. Coffs Harbor was also mentioned, and I spent a couple of years living there, too. I have family all over Coffs.
Plus… I found it funny that there was a Nikki in this book - yet another connection. 👌🏻
October 30, 2021
'The Invisible Tether'. Thank you to JP for allowing me to be on the eArc team. Congratulations on your debut novel.
Superbly written. The setting, characters and plot are so well developed. A mix of genres: Adventure, Action, Sci-fi and a dash of Thriller.
This one is a page turner. The fast paced action scenes; the desire to know if good prevails evil; and the craft of JPs writing is captivating. You will be taken on an adventure - to the brink of death and back again. Can Cooper and his friends save all humanity?!
A cast of characters know as 'The Evil Eleven' - Cooper, Zoey, Desh, Mia and more! Told through Cooper's perspective. I had a soft spot for Cooper but also found qualities in each of the characters that resonated with me. While reading, I wondered who I would most react like if I found myself having to fight for survival. "By default, our intentions are merely to protect what we hold dear, and our innate desire or instinct to survive."
To me there is so much to take away from this story. A story about science fiction - type ideas, cloning, fear, survival, teamwork, leadership, friendship, loss, love, and what it means to be human. A coming of age story.
The characters go on a journey of self-discovery from innocent young adults to life saving heroes. No one is left unchanged at the end. "That is what defines us; the ability to adapt and overcome."
I loved the twists and turns. I loved the connection to nature throughout. I loved the passages that make you stop and reflect upon your own values and beliefs - what it is that makes us human.
That ending! Intense. Informative. I loved that the Epilogue leaves you with thriller vibes. Read it.
Superbly written. The setting, characters and plot are so well developed. A mix of genres: Adventure, Action, Sci-fi and a dash of Thriller.
This one is a page turner. The fast paced action scenes; the desire to know if good prevails evil; and the craft of JPs writing is captivating. You will be taken on an adventure - to the brink of death and back again. Can Cooper and his friends save all humanity?!
A cast of characters know as 'The Evil Eleven' - Cooper, Zoey, Desh, Mia and more! Told through Cooper's perspective. I had a soft spot for Cooper but also found qualities in each of the characters that resonated with me. While reading, I wondered who I would most react like if I found myself having to fight for survival. "By default, our intentions are merely to protect what we hold dear, and our innate desire or instinct to survive."
To me there is so much to take away from this story. A story about science fiction - type ideas, cloning, fear, survival, teamwork, leadership, friendship, loss, love, and what it means to be human. A coming of age story.
The characters go on a journey of self-discovery from innocent young adults to life saving heroes. No one is left unchanged at the end. "That is what defines us; the ability to adapt and overcome."
I loved the twists and turns. I loved the connection to nature throughout. I loved the passages that make you stop and reflect upon your own values and beliefs - what it is that makes us human.
That ending! Intense. Informative. I loved that the Epilogue leaves you with thriller vibes. Read it.
August 16, 2023
Absolutely incredible! How is this JP McDonald’s debut book, he is an absolute gorgeous storyteller! I fell in love with his writing style and is my favourite style I have read this year! Plus he is a Aussie, mega plus!
I loved the way he writes with descriptive, imaginative and thought provoking language. The way he describes the environment around him really transports me there and I can smell the eucalyptus and hear the rosella’s soaring past. The wording may seem like tangents to some but I adored this!
Superb writing!
If you want a sci fi set in Australia with all the amazing Australian references and vibes. This is for you, it’s action packed, interesting and addictive. I felt transported into the world JP created and have found a new auto buy author.
“Who would’ve thought that some teenage nobodies could potentially ruin everything’” YES YES!
The characters are diverse and the way they are written was fantastic. It felt very real world rather than just a random allotment of characters. We got to see their flaws, strengths and how difficult it can be within a friend group who is thrown the most challenging of circumstances.
A great look at how we cope in challenging situations, pressure, grief, our morals and what we would do to survive.
This book really made me think about myself and what I would do in similar situation. It really made me think about a lot of things and I feel like it will be on my mind for days!
I highly recommend this book.
In fact I’m off now to convince my dad to read it! We just did a buddy read and I’m kinda mad I didn’t do a buddy with him on this one.
Spirit finger wave 👋🏼
I loved the way he writes with descriptive, imaginative and thought provoking language. The way he describes the environment around him really transports me there and I can smell the eucalyptus and hear the rosella’s soaring past. The wording may seem like tangents to some but I adored this!
Superb writing!
If you want a sci fi set in Australia with all the amazing Australian references and vibes. This is for you, it’s action packed, interesting and addictive. I felt transported into the world JP created and have found a new auto buy author.
“Who would’ve thought that some teenage nobodies could potentially ruin everything’” YES YES!
The characters are diverse and the way they are written was fantastic. It felt very real world rather than just a random allotment of characters. We got to see their flaws, strengths and how difficult it can be within a friend group who is thrown the most challenging of circumstances.
A great look at how we cope in challenging situations, pressure, grief, our morals and what we would do to survive.
This book really made me think about myself and what I would do in similar situation. It really made me think about a lot of things and I feel like it will be on my mind for days!
I highly recommend this book.
In fact I’m off now to convince my dad to read it! We just did a buddy read and I’m kinda mad I didn’t do a buddy with him on this one.
Spirit finger wave 👋🏼
December 20, 2022
Note: This review has somewhat more spoiler than usual for me, so you were warned.
I was excited to see that this was written by an Australian, albeit a Sydney Australian. Heh, better than nothing I suppose … immediately, I decided this author – and this book – would face an uphill battle for my fair and impartial approval.
No, I kid. What I ended up with here was a really cool and distinctive story told in a way that … well, it could just be confirmation bias on my part but the richness of the visual storytelling and the style in general was reminiscent of other Australian authors’ work, like The Break and 90 Packets of Instant Noodles by Deb Fitzpatrick, or anything by Lucas Thorn, really. This feels the same. I haven’t read enough Australian authors to say for sure but my coincidental anecdotal evidence is compelling.
Our hero, Cooper, is headed to off on a sporting (footy? Netball? To be honest I zoned out on that part but it wasn’t super important) trip amidst shark warnings (hahaha an Aussie classic) and cloning announcements on the radio. There’s a very weird hijacking attempt and the plane crashes in the Queensland jungle.
There are a few survivors, Lost– or possibly Alive-style, and then – suddenly clones! Are they the new world order? How did this happen? It all happened weirdly fast but I was definitely into the super-florid writing style. Its cloying verbiage provided a strange way of slowing the pace down without adding a lot of filler, so the action itself kept clipping along – just with a lot of filigree and curlicues all the fuck over it. Which I like.
The story that unfolds at this point is all very weird, dreamlike and surreal, and as anxiety-inducingly paranoid as you would expect with murderous clones in the jungles of Queensland and also emergent superpowers (yeah, the survivors of the plane crash, who aren’t clones, start getting superpowers for some reason). What’s happening? About 45% into the story, we see the beginning of a trickle of clues about what is happening and how it connects to the clone thing at the start. I was equal parts fascinated by the weirdness and trapped in the quicksand-like prose, but I can’t promise every reader will want to or be able to stick around that far to find out what’s going on.
The clones, who are Invasion of the Bodysnatchersing the world bit by bit, starting with the Florida of Australia (which, I’m not even going to fault them, it’s the last place weirdness would even be questioned), have some kind of inherent evil because of course they do, identical twins and clones are evil, we know this, it wouldn’t be such a prevalent part of our popular culture if there wasn’t a grain of truth to it and we’re lucky creators like McDonald are out there spreading the word. Anyway Cooper can see the evil, can see the evil as a cool green glow, as part of (but not all of) his superpower. But he can only do it with the eyes – a fake set of eyes, say from a human, can fool him … man, there’s a lot going on here.
Ironically, the clones dub the humans “the Evil Eleven” and declare them enemies of the state (of Queensland, just for clarity). There’s nothing left but for the intrepid emergent-superhero gang from the plane crash to make their way back to civilisation, and then save civilisation. From the clones. Using their superpowers. In Queensland.
No, look, I know it sounds fucking insane, but McDonald really pulls it off.
Sex-o-meter
The love story that’s folded through this surreal horror adventure was very sweet, I really liked it. Simple and pure and just uplifting in every way. Does it register on the sex-o-meter, though? Well, barely. Cooper and Zoey have a cute courtship amidst the weirdness. They do a couple of sexes. And if you thought the writing was picturesque during the non-sex scenes, does McDonald have a treat in store for you. Cooper was pretty dense about Kasey though, in my opinion – that whole thing was sad. But look at me, languishing over the ‘characters’ and their ‘interactions’ like some sort of weirdo, when the important thing was how many times they got their fuck on. Well, like I said, a couple of times? The Invisible Tether gets one invisible tether out of a possible extremely visible tether around [update celebrity name to keep with the times]’s neck when they are [found dead / snapped by TMZ / running for President of the USA / convinced it’s a cure for something].
Gore-o-meter
The plane crash and injuries in the aftermath are plenty gory right from the start. The assorted killings and the magnetronic mayhem at the end is pretty vivid too. Two-and-a-half flesh-gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
This right here is the good stuff, people. This is high grade artisanal WTF right from the trunk. The clones threat turned into a sort of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers thing like I said, which is a nice premise but I couldn’t help but conclude it could have been more tidily set up and introduced to the narrative. But then I guess it had to be set apart from other Invasion of the Bodysnatchers stories somehow. Just … did it have to be set apart by being … sorry, but kind of a mess? Make no mistake, I was enthralled and didn’t care, but when it came time to get all my thoughts down and I was left with a dizzy stream of consciousness, I realised there could maybe have been more structure and plan to it. I don’t know. The inclusion of superpowers certainly made it more interesting, although the explanation for said superpowers was way too random and out of nowhere – and kind of late in the game, almost an exposition-debriefing at the end of the main narrative. The whole clone pod infrastructure felt way too fast – when did all this happen? But okay. It all adds up to a glorious festival of WTF, and we like festivals of WTF. The Invisible Tether scores three Dharma logos out of a possible I Hiked Out Of The Andes And All I Got Was This Stupid Napkin T-Shirt T-shirt.
My Final Verdict
Three stars! I loved the writing, as distracting as it was sometimes. It may not be for everyone but words are our friends and we should let as many of them do as much weird shit to each other as they want to. Stop being a prude. The story itself was cool, but I have to say, kind of a shambles. I don’t see how there could still be clones after the climax, there needed to be better set-up allowing for their survival, or some other mechanic for killing them. Sorry. I couldn’t, ultimately, say where and when the clones had come from, what the superpowers were about, any of it. And why. And how. All the journalistic questions, really. Except where. It was Queensland. Queensland!
Oh, and the epilogue hit hard. Lots of tying up and narration, a bit checklisty … but then the final scene was memorable.
I was excited to see that this was written by an Australian, albeit a Sydney Australian. Heh, better than nothing I suppose … immediately, I decided this author – and this book – would face an uphill battle for my fair and impartial approval.
No, I kid. What I ended up with here was a really cool and distinctive story told in a way that … well, it could just be confirmation bias on my part but the richness of the visual storytelling and the style in general was reminiscent of other Australian authors’ work, like The Break and 90 Packets of Instant Noodles by Deb Fitzpatrick, or anything by Lucas Thorn, really. This feels the same. I haven’t read enough Australian authors to say for sure but my coincidental anecdotal evidence is compelling.
Our hero, Cooper, is headed to off on a sporting (footy? Netball? To be honest I zoned out on that part but it wasn’t super important) trip amidst shark warnings (hahaha an Aussie classic) and cloning announcements on the radio. There’s a very weird hijacking attempt and the plane crashes in the Queensland jungle.
There are a few survivors, Lost– or possibly Alive-style, and then – suddenly clones! Are they the new world order? How did this happen? It all happened weirdly fast but I was definitely into the super-florid writing style. Its cloying verbiage provided a strange way of slowing the pace down without adding a lot of filler, so the action itself kept clipping along – just with a lot of filigree and curlicues all the fuck over it. Which I like.
The story that unfolds at this point is all very weird, dreamlike and surreal, and as anxiety-inducingly paranoid as you would expect with murderous clones in the jungles of Queensland and also emergent superpowers (yeah, the survivors of the plane crash, who aren’t clones, start getting superpowers for some reason). What’s happening? About 45% into the story, we see the beginning of a trickle of clues about what is happening and how it connects to the clone thing at the start. I was equal parts fascinated by the weirdness and trapped in the quicksand-like prose, but I can’t promise every reader will want to or be able to stick around that far to find out what’s going on.
The clones, who are Invasion of the Bodysnatchersing the world bit by bit, starting with the Florida of Australia (which, I’m not even going to fault them, it’s the last place weirdness would even be questioned), have some kind of inherent evil because of course they do, identical twins and clones are evil, we know this, it wouldn’t be such a prevalent part of our popular culture if there wasn’t a grain of truth to it and we’re lucky creators like McDonald are out there spreading the word. Anyway Cooper can see the evil, can see the evil as a cool green glow, as part of (but not all of) his superpower. But he can only do it with the eyes – a fake set of eyes, say from a human, can fool him … man, there’s a lot going on here.
Ironically, the clones dub the humans “the Evil Eleven” and declare them enemies of the state (of Queensland, just for clarity). There’s nothing left but for the intrepid emergent-superhero gang from the plane crash to make their way back to civilisation, and then save civilisation. From the clones. Using their superpowers. In Queensland.
No, look, I know it sounds fucking insane, but McDonald really pulls it off.
Sex-o-meter
The love story that’s folded through this surreal horror adventure was very sweet, I really liked it. Simple and pure and just uplifting in every way. Does it register on the sex-o-meter, though? Well, barely. Cooper and Zoey have a cute courtship amidst the weirdness. They do a couple of sexes. And if you thought the writing was picturesque during the non-sex scenes, does McDonald have a treat in store for you. Cooper was pretty dense about Kasey though, in my opinion – that whole thing was sad. But look at me, languishing over the ‘characters’ and their ‘interactions’ like some sort of weirdo, when the important thing was how many times they got their fuck on. Well, like I said, a couple of times? The Invisible Tether gets one invisible tether out of a possible extremely visible tether around [update celebrity name to keep with the times]’s neck when they are [found dead / snapped by TMZ / running for President of the USA / convinced it’s a cure for something].
Gore-o-meter
The plane crash and injuries in the aftermath are plenty gory right from the start. The assorted killings and the magnetronic mayhem at the end is pretty vivid too. Two-and-a-half flesh-gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
This right here is the good stuff, people. This is high grade artisanal WTF right from the trunk. The clones threat turned into a sort of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers thing like I said, which is a nice premise but I couldn’t help but conclude it could have been more tidily set up and introduced to the narrative. But then I guess it had to be set apart from other Invasion of the Bodysnatchers stories somehow. Just … did it have to be set apart by being … sorry, but kind of a mess? Make no mistake, I was enthralled and didn’t care, but when it came time to get all my thoughts down and I was left with a dizzy stream of consciousness, I realised there could maybe have been more structure and plan to it. I don’t know. The inclusion of superpowers certainly made it more interesting, although the explanation for said superpowers was way too random and out of nowhere – and kind of late in the game, almost an exposition-debriefing at the end of the main narrative. The whole clone pod infrastructure felt way too fast – when did all this happen? But okay. It all adds up to a glorious festival of WTF, and we like festivals of WTF. The Invisible Tether scores three Dharma logos out of a possible I Hiked Out Of The Andes And All I Got Was This Stupid Napkin T-Shirt T-shirt.
My Final Verdict
Three stars! I loved the writing, as distracting as it was sometimes. It may not be for everyone but words are our friends and we should let as many of them do as much weird shit to each other as they want to. Stop being a prude. The story itself was cool, but I have to say, kind of a shambles. I don’t see how there could still be clones after the climax, there needed to be better set-up allowing for their survival, or some other mechanic for killing them. Sorry. I couldn’t, ultimately, say where and when the clones had come from, what the superpowers were about, any of it. And why. And how. All the journalistic questions, really. Except where. It was Queensland. Queensland!
Oh, and the epilogue hit hard. Lots of tying up and narration, a bit checklisty … but then the final scene was memorable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2022
You know I love supporting a fellow Aussie, especially one who’s a self-published author! So, here are some of my (not-very-well-put-together) thoughts on…
📖 The Invisible Tether by JP McDonald
If you like…
• Sci-Fi
• Found-family
• Death and destruction and chaos
• Characters with abnormal abilities
• Books where the entire human race is threatened, etc.
Then this is the book for you.
I wouldn’t normally pick up a book like The Invisible Tether, but after JP’s magnificent Instagram reels and reading other bookstagrammer’s reviews, I knew I had to at least give this a go. And I’m glad I did!
The book was fast-paced, action-packed, had a great range of characters, and a unique plot.
JP’s writing has a real nice flow to it. It’s very lyrical, and there were many instances where certain lines, word choices or dialogue had me going: *chefs kiss* 🤌
I especially loved the ensemble of characters that JP created for this world. Each character had their own personality, voice, flaws, etc. and it was really refreshing to see such a diverse cast of characters. Not all of them were the perfect hero — especially our main character: Cooper. (Special shout-out to my favourite character: Pj). I also loved the different dynamics between the characters. It really made the group feel like a real friend group, and not just a bunch of guys and gals who were thrown together and labelled ‘besties.’
Overall, The Invisible Tether was a wild — but fun — ride! It was a nice break from my usual reads, and perhaps my first little introduction to the realm of (reading) sci-fi…? 🤨
Go show JP and TIT some love!
📖 The Invisible Tether by JP McDonald
If you like…
• Sci-Fi
• Found-family
• Death and destruction and chaos
• Characters with abnormal abilities
• Books where the entire human race is threatened, etc.
Then this is the book for you.
I wouldn’t normally pick up a book like The Invisible Tether, but after JP’s magnificent Instagram reels and reading other bookstagrammer’s reviews, I knew I had to at least give this a go. And I’m glad I did!
The book was fast-paced, action-packed, had a great range of characters, and a unique plot.
JP’s writing has a real nice flow to it. It’s very lyrical, and there were many instances where certain lines, word choices or dialogue had me going: *chefs kiss* 🤌
I especially loved the ensemble of characters that JP created for this world. Each character had their own personality, voice, flaws, etc. and it was really refreshing to see such a diverse cast of characters. Not all of them were the perfect hero — especially our main character: Cooper. (Special shout-out to my favourite character: Pj). I also loved the different dynamics between the characters. It really made the group feel like a real friend group, and not just a bunch of guys and gals who were thrown together and labelled ‘besties.’
Overall, The Invisible Tether was a wild — but fun — ride! It was a nice break from my usual reads, and perhaps my first little introduction to the realm of (reading) sci-fi…? 🤨
Go show JP and TIT some love!
May 31, 2023
JP really knows how to make interesting characters that I actually want to learn about and be a part of their journey and their growth. I don’t normally write anything with my reviews, I find that I’m not good at putting things into words but wanting to support an Aussie author that makes me laugh on social media I just wanted to say that this book made me feel many things. I felt sadness, happiness, hate, heartbreak and just such a mixed bag of emotions, in a good way. I’ve finished the book finding myself thinking about a lot of things not only in the world of the story but in real life and I’m looking forward to reading what JP puts out next.
July 19, 2022
When a horrific plane accident occurs, and you and a group of mates think survival is the worst you've got to deal with, think again.
JP McDonald has described a mind-warping twist of events where our MC, Cooper, and his friends endure a plane crash, only to discover their world and the homes they try to return to are basically overrun by clones.
The Invisible Tether is a mix of action, intense emotional rollercoasters, and complicated friendships that are challenged and strained under the life threatening situations they've all found themselves in. The morally grey elements of each character has you questioning if they've made the right decisions, but also has you questioning if you'd do anything different if you were in their shoes. There were even a few "No! No! No! Don't do it!!" moments, especially one particular scene regarding a pool... Yikes! 😱
There were quite a few twists and turns throughout the book, JP McDonald always had me guessing what would happen next, to which I was never correct 😂 Great debut!
April 11, 2023
Sci-fi books are not usually my go to, but I thought I would give The Invisible Tether a read and I’m so glad that I did.
Maybe I went into this book a bit blind the ending was not what I was expecting… in a good way.
This book was action packed and fast paced throughout and each chapter left me wondering what was in store for the characters next.
Even after all the hardships the characters endure in this book the relationship with each other seems to go from strength to strength, when it could easily tear their friendship apart. The friendship group’s relationship developed from just friends to more like family which I loved.
Throughout the book it left me thinking what would I do in this situation. Overall this was a great read for me and I would recommend it to any of my sci-fi loving friends.
Maybe I went into this book a bit blind the ending was not what I was expecting… in a good way.
This book was action packed and fast paced throughout and each chapter left me wondering what was in store for the characters next.
Even after all the hardships the characters endure in this book the relationship with each other seems to go from strength to strength, when it could easily tear their friendship apart. The friendship group’s relationship developed from just friends to more like family which I loved.
Throughout the book it left me thinking what would I do in this situation. Overall this was a great read for me and I would recommend it to any of my sci-fi loving friends.
October 30, 2022
Action packed all the way through!
We follow main character Cooper Belrose and his friends as their plane is taken over and crashed.
Surviving the crash Cooper and his friends are forced to survive on their own- however all is not as it seems. Discovering strange abilities in themselves they set out to destroy clones that are taking over the world.
This is like Tomorrow When The War Began with a Sci- Fi edge - which totally works! Loved it!
The more you read the better it gets as you delve deeper into the characters and who they are, their relationships and how they work together to survive.
JP is such a cool, smooth writer and the pages fly by and pretty soon you're at the end and you want more!
Loved the whole thing! Highly recommend!
We follow main character Cooper Belrose and his friends as their plane is taken over and crashed.
Surviving the crash Cooper and his friends are forced to survive on their own- however all is not as it seems. Discovering strange abilities in themselves they set out to destroy clones that are taking over the world.
This is like Tomorrow When The War Began with a Sci- Fi edge - which totally works! Loved it!
The more you read the better it gets as you delve deeper into the characters and who they are, their relationships and how they work together to survive.
JP is such a cool, smooth writer and the pages fly by and pretty soon you're at the end and you want more!
Loved the whole thing! Highly recommend!
March 12, 2023
The Invisible Tether by JP McDonald. 5⭐️
I absolutely loved this read! It was a blood pumping page turner with the clever voice of the brilliant and thoughtful JP McDonald. I fell in love with each character and their flaws. This story was a balance of humor, loss, grief, love, wisdom, scheming, friendship, adventure, revenge, and tons of evil clone killing. As far as a sci-fi action goes, this one had everything I love in a story. The ending was icing on the cake. I admit I cried. Cooper & Zoey ♥️ I’m considering a re-read because it was just that good. 🙌🏼
I absolutely loved this read! It was a blood pumping page turner with the clever voice of the brilliant and thoughtful JP McDonald. I fell in love with each character and their flaws. This story was a balance of humor, loss, grief, love, wisdom, scheming, friendship, adventure, revenge, and tons of evil clone killing. As far as a sci-fi action goes, this one had everything I love in a story. The ending was icing on the cake. I admit I cried. Cooper & Zoey ♥️ I’m considering a re-read because it was just that good. 🙌🏼
December 31, 2022
I hadn't realized the intro of this book before hand, so I started reading it while I was on a flight, and there is a plane crash at the beginning that really sketched me out lol. I will remember that for a long time and it made the book hold a special place for me in my memories. J.P is telling unique and original stories that deserve a space on your bookshelf. I enjoyed that the setting was in Australia as it gave the whole thing a flavor that many books in the genre don't have.
March 20, 2022
“A muffled crack pierced the soundscape: a sudden accent in the monotonous droning symphony of the engine”
This book literally starts with a bang! From page one you are taken on a journey, full of twists, turns, danger and a little bit of romance. It is a world that appears normal, a world that is under threat and the only ones who can save it are a group of university students.
Plot – exciting, well thought-out, action-packed, surprising and imaginative. Our MC is Cooper and it is through his eyes the story of the groups fight for survival is told. It has an “Tomorrow when the War Began “ vibe with a twist which gives it a extra kick to captivate the imagination.
Pace – from the start this book is like running a race, sometimes it is a sprint and sometimes it turns into a steady jog, then into a run for survival. The heart rate increases and panic sets in (and that is me reading it). It keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are those moments that you get take a breathe and hope that nothing else could happen, then all chaos breaks loose and they are running for their lives. (again). This is definitely a wild ride.
Writing/language – so descriptive and colourful. The author turns the most mundane items into something wondrous and new. This is so relevant to the story and points to the simple lesson, that we shouldn't take the ordinary things for granted, because one day you may wake-up and things are not so simple. The story is written in past tense as the MC reflects upon the events that changed his life and sees the simple things through new and more appreciative eyes.
Characters - a cast of many, but each and every one is important to the development and momentum of the story. They work together as a team and compliment each other. Cooper is a complex character. He is not the leader and not necessarily the 'hero', but he is a driving force and a character that is totally real and relatable. He is insightful and compassionate. He is a good friend. Everyone knows someone like each of these characters, they are all realistic and likeable. I can't pick who was my favorite. Each one had something appealing. Even the type of characters you may not necessarily warm to in real life, showed they had another side and didn't grate on the nerves. This was refreshing, that each character, though appeared to be stereotypical on the surface, once you got to know them, they were anything but that.
I want to see this as a movie. The Epilogue, set three years after the story was yet another twist and a complete surprise. The realness of these characters was again evident in the aftermath of the adventure. How do you cope with something like this? Together.
This book literally starts with a bang! From page one you are taken on a journey, full of twists, turns, danger and a little bit of romance. It is a world that appears normal, a world that is under threat and the only ones who can save it are a group of university students.
Plot – exciting, well thought-out, action-packed, surprising and imaginative. Our MC is Cooper and it is through his eyes the story of the groups fight for survival is told. It has an “Tomorrow when the War Began “ vibe with a twist which gives it a extra kick to captivate the imagination.
Pace – from the start this book is like running a race, sometimes it is a sprint and sometimes it turns into a steady jog, then into a run for survival. The heart rate increases and panic sets in (and that is me reading it). It keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are those moments that you get take a breathe and hope that nothing else could happen, then all chaos breaks loose and they are running for their lives. (again). This is definitely a wild ride.
Writing/language – so descriptive and colourful. The author turns the most mundane items into something wondrous and new. This is so relevant to the story and points to the simple lesson, that we shouldn't take the ordinary things for granted, because one day you may wake-up and things are not so simple. The story is written in past tense as the MC reflects upon the events that changed his life and sees the simple things through new and more appreciative eyes.
Characters - a cast of many, but each and every one is important to the development and momentum of the story. They work together as a team and compliment each other. Cooper is a complex character. He is not the leader and not necessarily the 'hero', but he is a driving force and a character that is totally real and relatable. He is insightful and compassionate. He is a good friend. Everyone knows someone like each of these characters, they are all realistic and likeable. I can't pick who was my favorite. Each one had something appealing. Even the type of characters you may not necessarily warm to in real life, showed they had another side and didn't grate on the nerves. This was refreshing, that each character, though appeared to be stereotypical on the surface, once you got to know them, they were anything but that.
I want to see this as a movie. The Epilogue, set three years after the story was yet another twist and a complete surprise. The realness of these characters was again evident in the aftermath of the adventure. How do you cope with something like this? Together.
October 29, 2021
*Thank you to JP McDonald for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review*
"With that, we headed into the bush, back to the very place of our rebirth, from the ashes of those who weren't so lucky."
The Invisible Tether follows Cooper and a group of his friends who survive a plane hijacking and subsequent crash, leaving them to not only fend for themselves while stranded in the Australian bush, but also come to terms with the sinister reason their plane was targeted in the first place.
"Survival was not about moving one foot in front of the other, it was about giving our hearts a reason to pump; giving our frightened souls a reason to return."
This fast-paced novel takes place through Cooper's POV as he quickly changes his mindset from university student to survivor. After learning of an attempted clone takeover, Cooper and his friends set off on a mission to figure out how to stop it before the clones decimate the world. This is a story about love, friendship, and the unavoidable consequences of human nature. We see a lot of Cooper's internal dialogue, and in return, watch as his own darkness starts to take over, as well as the positivity he chooses to maintain throughout the nightmare he and his friends are forced to endure.
It was refreshing to see that Mc Donald doesn't shy away from the hardships of life, and instead embraces the negative consequences that jealousy, power, and fear can have on people we thought we knew.
"Whatever happened down the line, we would always have that moment. A moment of love when it was untainted: simple and all consuming."
There is a romantic element throughout this novel, but the true love story for me was the love Cooper had for his friends and how that love evolved over time. The way this group of friends became family to each other, giving each other bright moments in a dismal dystopian hellscape, was a beautiful addition to such an action packed story. It allowed me to slow down, to reflect on people in my own life who are important to me, and remind myself that every day and every moment I have with those I love are true blessings.
"When I think of all the people I've lost, death would have been easier. But the easy road is seldom the most forgiving, for challenges heed a certain elixir for the afflictions that asphyxiate us."
If you like science fiction, action, adventure, a dash of thriller and a *hint* of romance, this book is for you. McDonald's unique writing style, colorful descriptions, and gripping storytelling will leave you wondering what else is in store for the future, and I for one, cannot wait to see.
"With that, we headed into the bush, back to the very place of our rebirth, from the ashes of those who weren't so lucky."
The Invisible Tether follows Cooper and a group of his friends who survive a plane hijacking and subsequent crash, leaving them to not only fend for themselves while stranded in the Australian bush, but also come to terms with the sinister reason their plane was targeted in the first place.
"Survival was not about moving one foot in front of the other, it was about giving our hearts a reason to pump; giving our frightened souls a reason to return."
This fast-paced novel takes place through Cooper's POV as he quickly changes his mindset from university student to survivor. After learning of an attempted clone takeover, Cooper and his friends set off on a mission to figure out how to stop it before the clones decimate the world. This is a story about love, friendship, and the unavoidable consequences of human nature. We see a lot of Cooper's internal dialogue, and in return, watch as his own darkness starts to take over, as well as the positivity he chooses to maintain throughout the nightmare he and his friends are forced to endure.
It was refreshing to see that Mc Donald doesn't shy away from the hardships of life, and instead embraces the negative consequences that jealousy, power, and fear can have on people we thought we knew.
"Whatever happened down the line, we would always have that moment. A moment of love when it was untainted: simple and all consuming."
There is a romantic element throughout this novel, but the true love story for me was the love Cooper had for his friends and how that love evolved over time. The way this group of friends became family to each other, giving each other bright moments in a dismal dystopian hellscape, was a beautiful addition to such an action packed story. It allowed me to slow down, to reflect on people in my own life who are important to me, and remind myself that every day and every moment I have with those I love are true blessings.
"When I think of all the people I've lost, death would have been easier. But the easy road is seldom the most forgiving, for challenges heed a certain elixir for the afflictions that asphyxiate us."
If you like science fiction, action, adventure, a dash of thriller and a *hint* of romance, this book is for you. McDonald's unique writing style, colorful descriptions, and gripping storytelling will leave you wondering what else is in store for the future, and I for one, cannot wait to see.
October 19, 2025
The Invisible Tether begins with Cooper Belrose and his friends embarking on a sporting tournament in tropical North Queensland, Australia. What should have been a carefree trip quickly unravels when a mysterious flight attendant hijacks their plane, sending them into a catastrophic crash. Against all odds, the survivors emerge not only alive but changed - discovering extraordinary abilities that tie them to something far larger than themselves. As they navigate shifting alliances, new faces, and heartbreaking losses, they must confront both the mystery of their powers and the greater danger threatening humanity itself.
McDonald’s book takes the familiar concept of cloning and reinvents it with a fresh, cinematic flair. At times it feels like Lost crossed with The Island, with a hint of Men in Black - a blend of survival thriller, science fiction, and conspiracy mystery. The science behind the events is thoughtfully revealed, grounding the spectacle in ideas that feel both imaginative and plausible.
The ensemble cast is large, and while some characters could have used deeper exploration, the dynamic of gaining (and losing) companions as the story unfolds kept the stakes personal. The prose occasionally leaned toward being more elaborate than necessary, using complex phrasing where simpler language might have allowed the tension and emotions to shine more clearly. Still, the energy of the plot and the originality of the premise far outweigh those moments.
Overall, this was an excellent first experience with J.P. McDonald’s work. Bold, inventive, and brimming with momentum, The Invisible Tether is a story that lingers - and I can’t wait to dive into The Germaine Chronicles next.
McDonald’s book takes the familiar concept of cloning and reinvents it with a fresh, cinematic flair. At times it feels like Lost crossed with The Island, with a hint of Men in Black - a blend of survival thriller, science fiction, and conspiracy mystery. The science behind the events is thoughtfully revealed, grounding the spectacle in ideas that feel both imaginative and plausible.
The ensemble cast is large, and while some characters could have used deeper exploration, the dynamic of gaining (and losing) companions as the story unfolds kept the stakes personal. The prose occasionally leaned toward being more elaborate than necessary, using complex phrasing where simpler language might have allowed the tension and emotions to shine more clearly. Still, the energy of the plot and the originality of the premise far outweigh those moments.
Overall, this was an excellent first experience with J.P. McDonald’s work. Bold, inventive, and brimming with momentum, The Invisible Tether is a story that lingers - and I can’t wait to dive into The Germaine Chronicles next.
December 29, 2022
Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book to review for the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC).
At first glance JP McDonald’s book looks like it has everything a YA novel needs. The main plot of The Invisible Tether is that a group of college students need to work together in order to save the world when a mad scientist’s clones get out of control. Along the way they learn about close friendships, love, sex, bravery, self-sacrifice, and loss, all while confronting their own internal battles.
The first problem with this book is McDonald focuses on using, what in my day were called, fifty cent words. It is like he got a thesaurus for his birthday and wants to put it to good use. Unfortunately, this leads to sentences like, “a remote dangled, flaccid, in my right hand.”
Putting aside misused words and mangled meanings, we get to the second problem which is McDonald has tried to cram way too much into one book. There is an interesting adventure story here with some good adolescent themes and the occasional jab at unethical scientists and politicians. Just as the story is gaining some traction, McDonald tries to slip in deep discussions about religion and philosophy which are clearly out of place in a book that is a lot like a script for a grade B zombie movie.
McDonald lists many people and groups in the acknowledgements that helped him to write his first book. There is definitely some potential here and I certainly do not want my comments to discourage him from writing. What I do want to encourage is the hiring of a good editor.
At first glance JP McDonald’s book looks like it has everything a YA novel needs. The main plot of The Invisible Tether is that a group of college students need to work together in order to save the world when a mad scientist’s clones get out of control. Along the way they learn about close friendships, love, sex, bravery, self-sacrifice, and loss, all while confronting their own internal battles.
The first problem with this book is McDonald focuses on using, what in my day were called, fifty cent words. It is like he got a thesaurus for his birthday and wants to put it to good use. Unfortunately, this leads to sentences like, “a remote dangled, flaccid, in my right hand.”
Putting aside misused words and mangled meanings, we get to the second problem which is McDonald has tried to cram way too much into one book. There is an interesting adventure story here with some good adolescent themes and the occasional jab at unethical scientists and politicians. Just as the story is gaining some traction, McDonald tries to slip in deep discussions about religion and philosophy which are clearly out of place in a book that is a lot like a script for a grade B zombie movie.
McDonald lists many people and groups in the acknowledgements that helped him to write his first book. There is definitely some potential here and I certainly do not want my comments to discourage him from writing. What I do want to encourage is the hiring of a good editor.
December 7, 2021
What an epic debut novel by indie author Jp McDonald and thank you ever so much for allowing me to be on the ARC Team for The Invisible Tether.
In this modern day sci fi book, Cooper and his friends must fight for their lives and at the same time their friendships are put to the test.
I love the bonds between each of the characters , even though they are so diverse and not alike one another at all. While it was written from Cooper's perspective, you were able to get a grasp of what the other characters felt. From his perspective I felt like he was the main character who made the group stick together like glue even though sometimes he felt he wasn't.
The idea of the abnormal abilities some of the characters "activated", I thought added a nice depth into the story but were their abilities useful enough for the destruction and evil they were going to have to face?
And what pain these characters had to endure before they saw their own beauty, could their new powers be a beautified object? Now and in the future.
This also made me think that it is one of those books that make you question what if? What if this does happen? As scary as it sounds, I think something like this could possibly happen in real life.
A little bit off topic but I really wanted to talk about "Serenity", it's a cave on Cooper's property where he feels most at home without being home. A place where he can be himself, in peace and nature.
In this modern day sci fi book, Cooper and his friends must fight for their lives and at the same time their friendships are put to the test.
I love the bonds between each of the characters , even though they are so diverse and not alike one another at all. While it was written from Cooper's perspective, you were able to get a grasp of what the other characters felt. From his perspective I felt like he was the main character who made the group stick together like glue even though sometimes he felt he wasn't.
The idea of the abnormal abilities some of the characters "activated", I thought added a nice depth into the story but were their abilities useful enough for the destruction and evil they were going to have to face?
And what pain these characters had to endure before they saw their own beauty, could their new powers be a beautified object? Now and in the future.
This also made me think that it is one of those books that make you question what if? What if this does happen? As scary as it sounds, I think something like this could possibly happen in real life.
A little bit off topic but I really wanted to talk about "Serenity", it's a cave on Cooper's property where he feels most at home without being home. A place where he can be himself, in peace and nature.
October 29, 2021
I was honored to receive an ARC of this book. The Invisible Tether is a non stop adventure of both clone fighting action and self discovery. The story is told through the eyes of Cooper, a twenty something, who along with his University sports teammates, begin their journey as survivors of a plane crash in the Australian brush. We build our relationship to Cooper and his friends from their initial days of becoming survivalists, to their realization that the fate of humanity rests with them. I appreciated Cooper's inner dialogue and the way he grows from a man still living at home and enmeshed in his friends' dynamics and antics, to someone who is able to bring the group together and persevere through a horrible string of tragedies. I look forward to reading more from McDonald.
My favorite line was this:
“Emotions were puzzle pieces that connected us to an overall projection of our current selves; a projection that had the ability to alter one’s personality, if left to ravage internally. If only someone had found a way to obstruct their imposition, to perhaps impede their penetration of the soul.
But it was and is unfeasible to do so, they have a way of infiltrating each and every situation, each and every circumstance.”
Side note: very much appreciated the reference to a Gang of Youths song. Wink wink.
My favorite line was this:
“Emotions were puzzle pieces that connected us to an overall projection of our current selves; a projection that had the ability to alter one’s personality, if left to ravage internally. If only someone had found a way to obstruct their imposition, to perhaps impede their penetration of the soul.
But it was and is unfeasible to do so, they have a way of infiltrating each and every situation, each and every circumstance.”
Side note: very much appreciated the reference to a Gang of Youths song. Wink wink.
January 17, 2022
What a wild ride!
I read the blurb before diving into this one, but I still was not prepared for the cool stuff I found within the pages of this book. First and foremost, J.P. has a gift for vivid and descriptive storytelling. There were moments that were so beautifully, vividly captured, that it was like I was there right alongside the characters. My favourites were the rich descriptions of the Australian setting, capturing all of the senses that instinctively made me feel at home. From the setting to the banter, there was something undeniably and quintessentially Australian about this, and I loved every moment of it.
The characters in this novel were well developed, and their motivations and actions were explored thoroughly throughout the story. There were times when I was yelling at the book because of their actions, and other instances where I just wanted to give 'em all a hug.
The storyline itself was pretty cool. I saw another reviewer liken it to the iconic Aussie "Tomorrow When the War Began" series. I definitely got hints of those vibes, but also with good genetic cloning and superpowers involved. Oh, and a good helping of explosions. If you like explosions and gunfights, this is definitely a good book for you.
I was really swept away by J.P.'s debut novel, and am looking forward to more work from him in the future!
I read the blurb before diving into this one, but I still was not prepared for the cool stuff I found within the pages of this book. First and foremost, J.P. has a gift for vivid and descriptive storytelling. There were moments that were so beautifully, vividly captured, that it was like I was there right alongside the characters. My favourites were the rich descriptions of the Australian setting, capturing all of the senses that instinctively made me feel at home. From the setting to the banter, there was something undeniably and quintessentially Australian about this, and I loved every moment of it.
The characters in this novel were well developed, and their motivations and actions were explored thoroughly throughout the story. There were times when I was yelling at the book because of their actions, and other instances where I just wanted to give 'em all a hug.
The storyline itself was pretty cool. I saw another reviewer liken it to the iconic Aussie "Tomorrow When the War Began" series. I definitely got hints of those vibes, but also with good genetic cloning and superpowers involved. Oh, and a good helping of explosions. If you like explosions and gunfights, this is definitely a good book for you.
I was really swept away by J.P.'s debut novel, and am looking forward to more work from him in the future!
May 17, 2022
A fantastic debut!
Straight off the bat it’s fair to say that JP McDonald has a way with words. In fact I’d go as far as to say he is a master craftsman. His writing is artistically poetic. The talent is evident, as he takes you on a ride through the masterful art of literature while not slowing the pace of the story down.
The story started strong. The action didn't take long to surface. As someone who loves adventure and survival, I was right there is the bush with the main characters after the plane went down. The group of young adults banding together to take down the enemy had strong Tomorrow When the War Began vibes, which, as one of the greater YA books to ever come out of Australia, is indeed a compliment to JP.
The characters were relatable and for the most part, likeable. Elements of Cooper frustrated me a little bit. I believe JP has done that on purpose to amplify the character's internal conflicts.
The story itself was unique and original and kept you guessing, literally all the way to the end with a page-flipping twist right when you thought it was over. A cool hybrid sci-fi adventure with just the right amount of brutality and violence amid a search for love and purpose.
A great debut from a talented writer and I cannot wait to see what’s next. Watch out for JP McDonald.
Straight off the bat it’s fair to say that JP McDonald has a way with words. In fact I’d go as far as to say he is a master craftsman. His writing is artistically poetic. The talent is evident, as he takes you on a ride through the masterful art of literature while not slowing the pace of the story down.
The story started strong. The action didn't take long to surface. As someone who loves adventure and survival, I was right there is the bush with the main characters after the plane went down. The group of young adults banding together to take down the enemy had strong Tomorrow When the War Began vibes, which, as one of the greater YA books to ever come out of Australia, is indeed a compliment to JP.
The characters were relatable and for the most part, likeable. Elements of Cooper frustrated me a little bit. I believe JP has done that on purpose to amplify the character's internal conflicts.
The story itself was unique and original and kept you guessing, literally all the way to the end with a page-flipping twist right when you thought it was over. A cool hybrid sci-fi adventure with just the right amount of brutality and violence amid a search for love and purpose.
A great debut from a talented writer and I cannot wait to see what’s next. Watch out for JP McDonald.
September 5, 2022
3.5 Rounded up
The Invisible Tether was an action packed, fast paced, coming of age sci-fi that upped the anti with every chapter. It Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden and the Frankenstein series by Dean Koontz had a baby, this would be it.
We have an ensemble cast of 20 somethings who are ready for a week of debauchery during the university games. Everything is going swimmingly, until the flight attendant hijacks the plane on its way to sunny North Queensland making our crew of kids pick fight or flight mode.
We view the events through the eyes of Cooper as they fight to survive, first at the crash site and then once the bigger plot comes into play.
This was a lot of fun, JP McDonald has done a great job of encouraging the reader be entertained while also having some deeper conversations. Our new adults experience, loss, love, friendship, betrayal and they unbearable weight of new responsibilities that no one should ever have to endure. They do so with an outlook of looking on the bright side even when everything seems like it is going to hell.
Although this was very action heavy, this book was unapologetically Australian and I had so many nostalgic feels while reading that took me straight back to my childhood home.
I look forward to seeing what the Author puts out next.
The Invisible Tether was an action packed, fast paced, coming of age sci-fi that upped the anti with every chapter. It Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden and the Frankenstein series by Dean Koontz had a baby, this would be it.
We have an ensemble cast of 20 somethings who are ready for a week of debauchery during the university games. Everything is going swimmingly, until the flight attendant hijacks the plane on its way to sunny North Queensland making our crew of kids pick fight or flight mode.
We view the events through the eyes of Cooper as they fight to survive, first at the crash site and then once the bigger plot comes into play.
This was a lot of fun, JP McDonald has done a great job of encouraging the reader be entertained while also having some deeper conversations. Our new adults experience, loss, love, friendship, betrayal and they unbearable weight of new responsibilities that no one should ever have to endure. They do so with an outlook of looking on the bright side even when everything seems like it is going to hell.
Although this was very action heavy, this book was unapologetically Australian and I had so many nostalgic feels while reading that took me straight back to my childhood home.
I look forward to seeing what the Author puts out next.
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