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Sensations #2
Echo
In book two of the Sensations series, Cassie Dixon's getaway to the mountains with her friends and their thirteen-year-old deaf son becomes a high-stakes search when the boy disappears. Danger stalks the slopes.
Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2007
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42 people want to read
About the author
C.L. Kelly
3 books2 followersClint Kelly is a communications specialist for Seattle Pacific University and the author of Scent, the first book in the Sensations series, as well as novels for both children and adults. As a journalist and freelance writer, he has written on a wide variety of topics, from dinosaurs to child rearing. Clint and his family live in the Seattle area.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 17, 2015
I enjoyed this book. The exciting ending kept me waiting, on my seat, and eager to see what more trouble Cody found himself into. Nice book! :)
March 27, 2008
Deaf boy with overprotective mother goes on a camping trip and runs away.
July 15, 2023
In many ways, this book is an improvement over the first in the series, Scent. Gone are the multitude of overlapping story lines, and the over-the-top plot elements. Instead, we have a focused family drama with one major through line. On the other hand, that simplicity also exposes the book's shortcomings, specifically the melodramatic and predictable nature of its plot.
Cassie and Nick Dixon, the protagonists of the previous book, are back. They are rebuilding their lives in San Francisco after the implosion of their perfume company. This novel begins with Cassie reconnecting with one of their old friends, Andrew Ferguson. Andy reveals that he and his wife Sheila are struggling to raise their 13-year-old son Cody, who happens to be deaf. They disagree over how much freedom to give the disabled boy vs. how much to protect him, with Sheila leaning towards authoritarianism while Andy prefers a more lenient approach. Cassie recommends that the Fergusons take Cody on a camping trip to the North Cascades in Washington state, and use the opportunity to let the boy explore a little, growing in confidence and independence. Sheila takes some convincing, but soon, the Dixons and the Fergusons are all sitting on the side of a lake in the Pacific Northwest, making s'mores, and telling bad jokes.
Cody, who has entered a rebellious stage of adolescence due in no small part to his mother's extremely restrictive rules, decides to prove himself by wandering off into the wilderness alone. He leaves the group during a hike, setting up a multi-day search and rescue effort. Author C.L. Kelly brings in some local law enforcement officers, park rangers, and volunteers, most of whom feel like stock characters from an episode of The X-Files or Northern Exposure. The gruff but kindly sheriff, the female officer who has to be tougher than her male peers, and the ne'er do well volunteer who has gambling debts to pay, and wants the reward for finding Cody to himself, are among the tropes.
This setup has some promise, but the execution is pedestrian. Sheila vents her anger and frustration on both Andy and the Dixons, blaming herself for not sticking to her guns, and keeping Cody safe at home in the Bay Area. Cassie and Sheila have a number of heart to heart talks that eventually lead to epiphanies and a spiritual re-awakening (because Zondervan published this; need I say more?). The spiritual "lessons" feel trite and forced. Meanwhile, Cody has several adventures and misadventures, gaining confidence in his ability to survive in a world without sound. The finale is a foregone conclusion, and nothing all that surprising happens.
That's the final problem with this book, I suppose: Predictability. I was never surprised or moved. Once I knew who the characters were, and the situation, I could forecast most of what would happen, and how it would occur. And although I am not a reader who needs to be surprised at every turn, there was zero suspense - not to mention limited development or depth. The mediocre quality of the writing, the unsurprising progressions of the characters, and the absolutely predictable plot left me little to get excited about. Scent had the advantage of at least causing my jaw to hang open from time to time with its absolute bonkers ideas. A perfume that drives animals into a homicidal frenzy? Silly, but at least entertaining. Adding a rogue bear into a story of a lost boy in the wilderness? *yawn*
Unbelievably, I will probably read the third and final book in this series. I am a creature of habit, and I like to finish things. I don't hold out high hopes for Delicacy, but if it doesn't read like the script for a bad Billy Graham movie (I'm looking at you, Cry from the Mountain) then maybe it will be worth it.
Cassie and Nick Dixon, the protagonists of the previous book, are back. They are rebuilding their lives in San Francisco after the implosion of their perfume company. This novel begins with Cassie reconnecting with one of their old friends, Andrew Ferguson. Andy reveals that he and his wife Sheila are struggling to raise their 13-year-old son Cody, who happens to be deaf. They disagree over how much freedom to give the disabled boy vs. how much to protect him, with Sheila leaning towards authoritarianism while Andy prefers a more lenient approach. Cassie recommends that the Fergusons take Cody on a camping trip to the North Cascades in Washington state, and use the opportunity to let the boy explore a little, growing in confidence and independence. Sheila takes some convincing, but soon, the Dixons and the Fergusons are all sitting on the side of a lake in the Pacific Northwest, making s'mores, and telling bad jokes.
Cody, who has entered a rebellious stage of adolescence due in no small part to his mother's extremely restrictive rules, decides to prove himself by wandering off into the wilderness alone. He leaves the group during a hike, setting up a multi-day search and rescue effort. Author C.L. Kelly brings in some local law enforcement officers, park rangers, and volunteers, most of whom feel like stock characters from an episode of The X-Files or Northern Exposure. The gruff but kindly sheriff, the female officer who has to be tougher than her male peers, and the ne'er do well volunteer who has gambling debts to pay, and wants the reward for finding Cody to himself, are among the tropes.
This setup has some promise, but the execution is pedestrian. Sheila vents her anger and frustration on both Andy and the Dixons, blaming herself for not sticking to her guns, and keeping Cody safe at home in the Bay Area. Cassie and Sheila have a number of heart to heart talks that eventually lead to epiphanies and a spiritual re-awakening (because Zondervan published this; need I say more?). The spiritual "lessons" feel trite and forced. Meanwhile, Cody has several adventures and misadventures, gaining confidence in his ability to survive in a world without sound. The finale is a foregone conclusion, and nothing all that surprising happens.
That's the final problem with this book, I suppose: Predictability. I was never surprised or moved. Once I knew who the characters were, and the situation, I could forecast most of what would happen, and how it would occur. And although I am not a reader who needs to be surprised at every turn, there was zero suspense - not to mention limited development or depth. The mediocre quality of the writing, the unsurprising progressions of the characters, and the absolutely predictable plot left me little to get excited about. Scent had the advantage of at least causing my jaw to hang open from time to time with its absolute bonkers ideas. A perfume that drives animals into a homicidal frenzy? Silly, but at least entertaining. Adding a rogue bear into a story of a lost boy in the wilderness? *yawn*
Unbelievably, I will probably read the third and final book in this series. I am a creature of habit, and I like to finish things. I don't hold out high hopes for Delicacy, but if it doesn't read like the script for a bad Billy Graham movie (I'm looking at you, Cry from the Mountain) then maybe it will be worth it.
September 18, 2017
I was intrigued but it was somewhat boring. The ending was good but kind of expected. I wouldn't read it again.
July 10, 2015
Book Two in the Sensations Series (book #1 Scent)
A trip with friends to the Cascade Mountains had been Cassie's idea. The Ferguson's had been a couple close to them but had slipped out of their lives when tragic circumstances hit Cassie and Nick's life. This was Cassie and Nick's chance to catch up with a couple of old friends and their son, Cody who was deaf. Could this camping trip break the routine of everyday life and bring the Ferguson's to talk to one another again? Could they stop hurting one another to remember the good times and how much they loved each other? When did life get so serious?
Cody disappears without a trace; Sheila and Andy start to do what they have come to do best blame one another for the situation at hand. Cassie feels bad she could see that the tide was turning for the couple out in God's country. They just needed a little more time. Now this; a bad storm was moving in and it did not look good. The sheriff just came by and told them there has just been a grizzly bear spotted not too far from where they last saw Cody. Where was God in all of this?
This was the testing of Cassie and Nick's faith. Did Sheila really believe in God? Could Andy trust God with his son's life? Would Cody be found alive? How a deaf boy make it in the wild alone? Could they capture the grizzly bear in time?
This novel grabbed my heart right from the start I didn’t want to stop reading. Every parent can sympathize with the Ferguson's and may relate to how life had gotten so serious for them. Maybe learn why it has stopped being fun. Then the suspense takes over and you will not stop reading until you reach the end. I highly recommend this story.
Book #3 called "Delicacy"
Disclosure of Material Connection: #AD sponsored by publisher.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
A trip with friends to the Cascade Mountains had been Cassie's idea. The Ferguson's had been a couple close to them but had slipped out of their lives when tragic circumstances hit Cassie and Nick's life. This was Cassie and Nick's chance to catch up with a couple of old friends and their son, Cody who was deaf. Could this camping trip break the routine of everyday life and bring the Ferguson's to talk to one another again? Could they stop hurting one another to remember the good times and how much they loved each other? When did life get so serious?
Cody disappears without a trace; Sheila and Andy start to do what they have come to do best blame one another for the situation at hand. Cassie feels bad she could see that the tide was turning for the couple out in God's country. They just needed a little more time. Now this; a bad storm was moving in and it did not look good. The sheriff just came by and told them there has just been a grizzly bear spotted not too far from where they last saw Cody. Where was God in all of this?
This was the testing of Cassie and Nick's faith. Did Sheila really believe in God? Could Andy trust God with his son's life? Would Cody be found alive? How a deaf boy make it in the wild alone? Could they capture the grizzly bear in time?
This novel grabbed my heart right from the start I didn’t want to stop reading. Every parent can sympathize with the Ferguson's and may relate to how life had gotten so serious for them. Maybe learn why it has stopped being fun. Then the suspense takes over and you will not stop reading until you reach the end. I highly recommend this story.
Book #3 called "Delicacy"
Disclosure of Material Connection: #AD sponsored by publisher.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
January 30, 2017
Echo is a adventurous and heart-warming story about a deaf boy named Cody who struggles to spread his wings out from under his overprotective mother, Sheila. Sheila busies herself with work and ignores her husband to hide up the fact that deep down inside, Sheila is struggling with her belief in God and blames him for Cody’s deafness. Cody’s father, Andy, notices the desire that Cody has to come out of his shell, but isn’t able to do much because Sheila won't allow Cody to do anything adventurous. Nevertheless, with enough pleading and persistence from Cody and Andy, Sheila decides that the family could use a mini-vacation and agrees to go camping with a few family friends. On this trip, Cody is over the moon, for this is the most independent he’s been in a long time. He feels like a regular boy, one without limits, but then...Cody disappears. Sheila and Andy are heartbroken and struggle to find their son in the dangerous forest, but maybe Cody doesn’t want to be found. His disappearance is an additional test of faith, so perhaps it’s not all that bad.
June 28, 2010
This is the second in the hideous "Sensations Series" by Clint Kelly, "Scent" being the first. While the horrible and cringe worthy dialogue and the idiotic plot devices do provide another "so horrible I can't put it down" fun sort of feeling, it's not quite as enjoyable as the first terrible book. The first book was like the movie "The Room"--so horrible that it's fantastically bad and great, great fun. I howled with laughter often while reading "Scent" (in unintended places, sure, but laughter is laughter). This second one was more "Ishtar" in it's awfulness. Bad, without question, but not *quite* as spectacularly fun in it's stinkatude. There were plenty of horrible moments that were amusing in their own way, but they were not as dazzlingly bizarre as "Scent". Of course, I am planning to read the next installment, "Delicacy", later this summer. It's synopsis on Amazon.com gives me hope that it will return to the stunning stupidity of the first in the series.
October 9, 2012
All around, the book was good. I really enjoyed getting to know Cody as a deaf pre-teen. It was fascinating to be part of his thought processes. However, the plot itself didn't seem very realistic.
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January 27, 2016
I liked this book a little better than Scents.
December 30, 2016
Excellent story about a young boy crying to be heard. A family finding each other, and finding God.
September 25, 2012
A little confusing so far.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews