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    Children of the Different
    Children of the Different
    Children of the Different
    Ebook316 pages5 hours

    Children of the Different

    By S. C. Flynn

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Nineteen years ago, a brain disease known as the Great Madness killed most of the world’s population. The survivors all had something different about their minds. Now, at the start of adolescence, their children enter a trance-like state known as the Changeland and emerge either with special mental powers or as cannibalistic Ferals.

    In the great forest of South West Western Australia, thirteen-year-old Arika and her twin brother Narrah go through the Changeland. They encounter an enemy known as the Anteater who feeds on human life. He exists both in the Changeland and in the outside world, and he wants the twins dead.

    After their Changings, the twins have powers that let them fight their enemy and face their destiny on a long journey to an abandoned American military base on the north-west coast of Australia...if they can reach it before time runs out.

    Children of the Different is a post-apocalyptic fantasy novel set among the varied landscapes and wildlife of Western Australia.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherS. C. Flynn
    Release dateSep 10, 2016
    ISBN9780954311858
    Children of the Different
    Author

    S. C. Flynn

    S. C. Flynn was born in a small town in South West Western Australia. He has lived in Europe for a long time; first the United Kingdom, then Italy and currently Ireland, the home of his ancestors. He still speaks English with an Australian accent, and fluent Italian.He reads everything, revises his writing obsessively and plays jazz. His wife Claudia shares his passions and always encourages him.S. C. Flynn has written for as long as he can remember and has worked seriously towards becoming a writer for many years.THE HIDDEN FACE (November 2017) is his second novel and the first book in the 5th Unmasking epic fantasy series.

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    Reviews for Children of the Different

    4.5/5

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    • 4/5
      Children of the Different is an interesting view of post-apocalyptic fiction. Flynn creates a very vivid future world that is filled with mystery and danger. I enjoyed the idea that technology was what brought our downfall and that kids/teens were taking charge to find a solution to problems.

      What I liked most is that this will be a good read for the YA crowd, something to draw them into reading or the dystopian genre. The characters were easy to connect with. There was action, friendships, and love.

      Appropriate for ages 12 and up or those who already enjoy dystopian fiction.
    • 3/5
      I rarely read books set in Australia, so I was very glad that Children of the Different is set there. Moreover, it was refreshing to read a dystopian novel set in an existing country other than the USA (or being based on that). The mentioning of gum trees and the like constructed a scenery of Australia that was nice to read about.

      In addition, the inclusion of mobile phones, computers and other technical innovations that are rarely featured in dystopian novels (at least the ones I have read) worked well. The mentioning of Perth and how it used to be, e.g. referring to modern-day Perth, made the impact of the Great Madness even more visible. As I have never been to the city myself I cannot really say if you would recognize outstanding features of the city, but I can very well imagine that to be the case.

      We immediately get introduced to the two protagonists of the story, the twins Arika and Narrah. Gradually, their world is revealed, and with it the hard life that they live. However, I had difficulties getting close to any of the characters. While I do not specifically dislike Arika and Narrah, I do not find them really likeable either. Toura and Zehra were the two characters I found most interesting, because they are mysterious and even though not much is revealed about their past, they are still well-rounded off. They are two strong female characters who take their faith in their own hands and try to save their people and friends. Zehra slightly fell out of favour when she forced Arika to come with them, but I believe she had good reason for her actions and in the end made up for that, too.

      The first half of the novel proceeded rather slowly. It could not grip and captivate me like I hoped it would. Luckily, this changed in the second half, once Narrah reached Perth and Arika met the Hermits. The story took up speed and I forgot the time while reading, as I wanted to know what happens next and even got more involved in the characters. Therefore, I believe the lack of interacting characters in the beginning did not do the story a favour. I am aware that it takes time to establish them, but Arika and Narrah were not able to carry the story on their own. They stayed more one-dimensional and their full potential was not exploited. The plot needed more people to bring it forward, just like the twins needed help from others on their missions to find each other and a cure for the Great Madness.

      What I could still not get into was the Changeland. At first, I thought the whole story would be set in there and was glad to read about Arika and Narrah both coming out of it more or less unharmed. In my eyes, the Changeland did not bring the story any further and was uninteresting to read about. While the idea is good, its implementing lacked tension and a twist. The Anteater was a bit ludicrous to me and the Ferals were much more of a threat to the characters. They reminded me of zombies, such as the walkers in The Walking Dead, which I enjoyed.

      Children of the Different is an enjoyable dystopian story with a nice setting. While the first half drags along rather slowly, the second half is much more entertaining and thrilling. There is definitely room for further sequels and exploration of the characters.
    • 5/5
      Children of the Different is a young adult post-apocalyptic novel set in a future Australia. A disease has wiped out most of humanity, and the only people who survived were those who had something different about them mentally–i.e. psychic powers, brain damage, coma, etc. The protagonists are a set of twins who were born after the cataclysm. Arika and Narrah live in a small enclave of survivors. Because of the virus, children who hit puberty go into a trance-like state referred to as the Changeland, and come back from it with some kind of new power or ability. That is, if they don’t come back a zombie.

      Arika and Narrah have always had a psychic connection to each other. When Arika enters the Changeland, the connection is weakened, and both characters find themselves alone for the first time in their lives. And at the same time, they are thrust into situations where they need to rely on and trust each other in order to survive, all while feeling alienated from themselves as their minds and bodies change. The Changeland is so insightful into the feelings one has during puberty. We many not have psychic powers, but we all change as we grow up, and often without feeling ready for it.

      One of my favorite elements of Children of the Different was looking at how different groups of survivors responded to the apocalypse. Arika and Narrah are part of an enclave that saw technology as the cause of disaster, and so there was a back-to-the-land ethos that permeated every aspect of daily life. In his adventures, Narrah encounters a scientist who has brought together survivors in the hope of using technology to make the world better. And Arika uncovers an ocean-worshiping cult who believe that the secret to survival will come from the oldest forms of life.

      I loved this book. Children of the Different is trippy and surreal, and is a thought-provoking adventure.
    • 5/5
      This post-apocalyptic tale is set in Western Australia. 19 years ago, the Great Madness killed most of the world’s population. Now when children enter their adolescence, they go into a trance-like state, entering the Changeland, and may come out of it fairly normal or a bit deranged and prone to cannibalism. Arika and her twin brother Narrah are at that age and their adventures in the Changeland will alter them, and perhaps their small society, forever.

      This tale was just a bit different from anything else I have read recently. First, I loved the setting and all the Australian animals that come into play throughout the tale. There’s even stromatolites! From dense forest to dry desert to cityscape to ocean-side village – this story covers a lot of ground. Then we have the Changeland, a place that can only be entered by your spirit through a trance-like state. Everything is warped in the Changeland. Sometimes a person sees images of cities healthy and whole before the Great Madness and sometimes a persons sees things as a they are now, but far, far from where they live. For both Arika and Narrah, they each run into the Anteater, which is like our Coyote trickster of the desert southwest here in the states. His motives aren’t clear until the end of the story, but he uses both charm and threats to set things in motion.

      While Arika in undergoing her Change, her brother is out of the village when he comes across Weiran, who used to be part of the village before he went a bit feral after his own Change. Narrah ends up captured by a group of city people and hauled away. Once Arika comes back to reality, she insists on going after him but she has to sneak away to do so. Turah, another childhood friend who now has strange prophetic abilities, goes with her. Both Arika and Narrah will have some harrowing experiences before they are reunited. Once they do, there is the task of taking one of the few remaining military bases in the area! The plot kept me guessing the entire time. There’s a little Mad Max action too when folks take some of the few remaining functional vehicles on the last jog of the story.

      This was an exciting story. At times, it was beautiful and strange, and at other times I was biting my nails in anticipation of what would happen to our heroes. The Changeland is an eerie, unpredictable place and adds an unexpected dimension to this post-apocalyptic tale. S. C. Flynn is an author to keep an eye on and see what he comes up with next.

      I received a copy of this book at no cost from the author in exchange for an honest review.

      The Narration: Stephen Briggs was a great choice for this tale. I loved his Australian accent he did for all the characters (except for the 1 or 2 minor characters who weren’t Australian). He also had this great gritty voice for this character Bowman who doesn’t show up until the second half of the story. Sometimes the volume did wiggle up and down a bit, but not so much I had to turn the volume down or risk ear damage. Over all, a great performance.

    Book preview

    Children of the Different - S. C. Flynn

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