Review and Giveaway of Heather Sunseri's Mindspeak!

Heather Sunseri is a fresh voice in the Young Adult genre that you aren't going to want to miss. I'm happy to call her a friend, and honored to be able to read her debut novel and review it for my readership.

If you like romance, mystery, fantasy, and plot twists, then you've got to pick this book up.

Here's a blurb from Heather's website:

She was created for a purpose so revolutionary, someone was willing to kill for it.

Seventeen-year-old Lexi Matthews keeps two secrets from her elite boarding school classmates—she’s the daughter of a famous and controversial geneticist, and she can influence people’s thoughts.

But after new student Jack DeWeese heals her broken arm with an anything-but-simple touch, he forces Lexi to face a new reality—her abilities reach much further than speaking to the minds of others.

After Lexi’s father goes missing and she receives threatening emails, she can’t decide whether to fall into Jack’s arms or run and hide.

As Lexi seeks answers to what she and Jack are, she discovers a truth more unsettling than anything her science books can teach. And letting Jack into her life of secrets is not only a threat to her very existence, but it just might break her heart wide open.

Heather's story is so unique...I've never read anything about genetic alterations and cloning, and how that fits within a spiritual, ethical, and moral discussion about purpose. I love a book that sparks debate within not only myself, but between me and other folk. I found myself discussing the premise of this book over breakfast with my husband. (Of course, he mainly just rolls his eyes at any and all talk of books that don't involve fishing, hunting, or rock climbing.)

The book isn't as far out there fantasy-wise as you might think, given the strides in science that the world has already taken. I mean, just the other day I found out one of my clients was actually born 8 years before she was inseminated into her mother. Turns out her oldest sister was conceived at the same time and their parents decided to wait to implant my client's embryo until later. Whoa! Cutting edge science stuff is happening all around us and I think most of us go about in our bubble, completely unaware.  

The romance between Lexi and Jack unfolds sweetly, and I wasn't disappointed with their chemistry! Heather's voice captures Lexi perfectly in first person point of view, and the reader is taken along a merry mysterious journey with her. I bought this book the very first day I could when it went up on Amazon, and had finished it by the next day (yes, I snuck in some reading time at work...thanks a lot, Heather...).

I think above all, Mindspeak will reach out to teens who are trying to find their place in the world. Teens regularly struggle with purpose, as they try to differentiate from their parents. Parents the world over set about having children and sidling them with expectations, while many teens ride the precipice of trying to please them versus striking out on their own. It's got a universal appeal to it that I think will make people stand up and take notice of a new author on the e-book scene!

I, for one, will be lining up to read Book Two, as this is the first in a series, and the stories of Lexi and Jack are nowhere near complete.

To pick up Mindspeak, visit these retailer's links:  

AMAZON ◊ BARNES & NOBLE ◊ KOBO ◊ SMASHWORDS

But one lucky commenter who follows my blog will get an e-book copy for free! Just answer the question below and leave your email. Giveaway open world-wide!

Let's Analyze

Have you ever gotten into a debate about cloning, stem cell research or any other genetics-type topic? Did things get heated?