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Summary: Obernewtyn - entery into another world
Review: I love this book! i read it first a couple of years ago and... WOW!
since then i've read it thw whole series twice over and they are my favourite books!
these are suitable books for the whole family, though the language might baffle some of the younger audiances!
this is a great book and i highly recomend it to all readers!
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Summary: A unique book with its own uniqe style
Review: I picked this book up just yesterday and finished it within the next 24 hours. I was unable to part with the life of Elspeth Gordie until there was no more pages remaining. Isobelle Carmody is an aspiring author with a unique sense and style, after the Obernewtyn series i would like to see what other alternate universes she hides up her sleeves.
The book at first seemed to start rather slowly and it took awhile for me to ajust to the lifestyles of it. The introduction explained all its history, but i felt obliged to find out on my own. But after Elspeth's journey to the Silent Vale the book started to pick up and interest me futher. Maruman's character made me laugh in some parts but sobered me up in others. After she journeyed to Obernewtyn i couldn't help but feel that her minor run-in's with trouble was just that calm before the storm. Over all, i would recomend this to any fanasy/Sci-fi reader, i normally do not stray from my own book series but when i saw this own i wouldn't let it's amount of pages differ me from reading it. Anyone and everyone that wants what any normal fantasy reader would out of a book should read Obernewtyn.
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Summary: It was great!!
Review: I was browsing around amazon one day, looking for a book, and Obernetyn popped up on the screen, I wasnt sure about it at first, but once I read the reviews, I thought I might aswell give it a try, well, I am incredibly glad I read it, it is one of the best books I've ever read!!! I'm looking forward to reading all the others.
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Summary: The start of a great fantasy series
Review: In a distant future very unlike the present we live in, earth has gone through a nuclear holocaust called the "Great White" and as a result the world knows very little about machines and virtually nothing about modern technology. Elspeth lives in this world as an orphan, children who no one cares about and are often used for cheap labor in handling the radioactive substances that are a result of the Great White. But Elspeth has a secret, she is a Misfit, a person with powers that are rejected by the rest of the society. She knows that if anyone tells out her life and the lives of those near her could be in great danger. But one day her worse fears come true. They find out about her Misfit status and send her away to Obernewtyn, a mysterious place where Misfits work hard to become normal. A place where strange experiments take place to make these people normal. Elspeth doesn't know what to expect or who to trust. She might be the only one who can save the place that has forced to become her new home. I became interested in this book when I found out about it on an online discussion group called Sheros Central. People who were avid fans of Tamora Piece, loved it. And it was because of their raving reviews that put me on a long search to find this book. I'm glad I did. Although I'm not usually into Sci-fi, this books is a different kind of sci fi. It's more like a fantasy book with kind of a feel you'd get from a book like "The Giver'" or "Anthem." Although it started out a bit slow and it didn't get into some parts of the story as much as I liked (there was a lot of summary) I couldn't help getting drawn into this book. I'm looking foreword to reading the rest of the series (when I can actually find it!) I recommend this book to all ages, from adolescents to adults.
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Summary: Steady postapocalyptic mystery
Review: Isobelle Carmody's "Obernewtyn," now reprinted for kids and young adults by Starscape Books, is a pretty good post-apocalypse fantasy, with a pretty good heroine and a good, suspenseful plot. It's not a typical fantasy, but it should definitely be given a look. After the Great White (nuclear holocaust), the Beforetime civilization was pretty much destroyed -- the people remaining lost most of their knowledge of the past, and genetic mutations altered the minds and bodies of animals and humans alike. The human mutants are known as Misfits, and if they're found, they are burned by the Council on the assumption that they are possessed by demons. One such girl is Elspeth Gordie, a girl who has kept her psychic abilities secret for a long time. But a future-seeing cat pal of hers sees the future -- that she will be found out and taken to the ountains. His prediction comes true. Elspeth, instead of being burned, is taken to the mountain prison of Obernewtyn. Misfits there are kept as laborers, and the mysterious Master of Obernewtyn is supposedly trying to find a cure for them. But Elspeth soon learns that all is not as it seems -- the Misfits are being used by someone at Obernewtyn to find out the nuclear secrets of the past. Not bad -- not bad at all. Isobelle Carmody puts a lot of work into making her world believable and sort of simple -- she doesn't overburden us with too many weird developments, like many postapocalypse fantasies do. Very realistically, "Beforetime" is viewed sort of the way we view ancient Rome, as a noisy, mean, fascinatingly mysterious place; it's very cool when she has Elspeth flipping through a manual for computers that don't exist anymore. Telepathic talking animals and ever-increasing psychic abilities add an extra edge to the book, though one that is thankfully never overused. Elspeth is a good heroine in the sense that she reacts very much the way you'd expect her to, since she is an orphaned girl with no real friends until she lands in Obernewtyn. That doesn't mean that she's always likeable, but she's always believable. The supporting characters tend to be a bit flatter, as the good guys tend to run together a little. The less sympathetic characters like Rushton, Jes, and the real Master are more three-dimensional, they have a little more bite to them. Carmody's plotting still lacks somewhat -- her prose is pretty standard, nothing mind-blowing here. And the middle of the book sags a bit as Elspeth lives her first months at Obernewtyn. For a long time, nothing really seems to happen except people snap at her. But she does give a drearily hopeless atmosphere to Obernewtyn, and does one of the best jobs of "talking animals" ever. (No cutesiness here!) This book is fine for teens and kids; I advise buying the juvenile edition of this book, because the cover art is much better. While "Obernewtyn" is not perfect, it's a good darker fantasy.
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Summary: An original Plot-Line
Review: Isobelle Carmody's book 'Obernewtyn' is one that has a very interesting and original plot-line, but could have been written better. The result of seeing the story from powerful farseeker Elspeth Gordie's eyes, you miss the chance to see what the other characters are thinking or planning. The book could have been longer and more exciting if we could have seen more of what went on outside of Elspeth's knowledge. It also seemed to move along very quickly, making it seem she was only in Obernewtyn for a few months before wanting to escape. At the end, I found myself wondering about a few things, as some questions had been left unaswered and I had to go back and re-read a few parts before I understood what it meant. All in all, it was an original and well-thought out idea, and the book wasn't the worst I've ever read, just saying that it's not the best either. I suggest you read it. Who knows, you may even like it! I did, I just thought there could've been a few things to change. Good work though Isobelle, I look forward to reading the other Obernewtyn Chronicals.
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Summary: putting words to something I've always known
Review: It all fell into place when I read this book, and I'm 46! Somehow I felt so many of us have different degrees of special gifts. Obernewtyn just articulated it for me. I'd love to meet the author and discuss her philosophy on life. Obviously a woman with insight and an open mind...literally!
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Summary: Immersion, thy name is...
Review: Looking for a new series? This one's excellent. It deals with the child Elspeth Gordie (or Innle) and her movement towards her ultimate destiny, as yet unforseen: the destruction of the weaponmachines that caused the Great White, the nuclear holocaust that has wiped out much of the population of the world, turned much of the Land into a blackened, tainted ruin and allowed the rise of the tyrannical Council and Herders. Elspeth here is unaware of her greater purpose and so this book reveals very little of this...you'll just have to read on! I love Carmody's treatment of the mind powers: more human than Julian May, yet more plausible than Anne McCaffrey. Basically, there are different 'talents': empathy, coercion, farspeaking (telepathy), beastspeaking, futuretelling and Teknoguilding (slight telekinesis, ability to understand relics of our age). Of course Elspeth, as the heroine, is gifted with all of these (except empathy) and she uses all of them in her yet unwitting quest as the Seeker. Supporting characters are good too, like the blind, gentle empath Dameon, the skinny, eager farseeker Matthew, the doomed Cameo and Selmar and the sadistic three in control of Obernewtyn. Plus of course the enigmatic Rushton... I think Carmody's books played a major part in getting me into fantasy. That's how great they are. Some of the writing may not suit certain people's taste as it's fairly unique; however this is a read not restricted to the young adult demographic. I know as many adults as kids who are fans. Carmody just sucks you into her world and doesn't let go, not even after you've finished the book - and I'm speaking as one who dreams about the series!
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Summary: A different book, but also fantastic
Review: Obernewtyn is a fab book about a young girl in a post-apocalypse world. The survivours set up a council, and condems Misfits, who are mutants. The main character, Elspeth, is one mutant,who has the power to read minds, as well as to beastspeak. That is, to talk to animals. Her friend, a cat, tells her that her destiny lies in the mountains, at Obernewtyn, a jail type place for Misfits. I found this book a joy to read, and I couldn't put it down. In my opinion, Carmody draws you into this future world, and I felt like I was there. I only wish it could have been longer, but I guess in a sense it is - that is it is part of a series. I have already read a few more books in the series, I can't wait for the rest!
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Summary: It has changed my life...wonderful
Review: Obernewtyn is fabulous. If you read it, you WILL go on and read Farseekers, Ashling and The Keeping Place. Isobelle has created the most beautiful characters, so moral and nice and interesting, very well defined, and not typical heroes - ie gods and godesses that can't be beaten. Everyone has faults, weaknessess. It is set in a post-apocalyptic place, simply called the Land. The novel centers on Elspeth Gordie, a 'Misfit' with extraordinary psychic abilities. She thinks that she is the only person in the Land that harbours powers, and hates her mutation for what it makes her in her brother's eyes (but likes being able to talk to Maruman, a wild cat). When the Mistress of Obernewtyn does a routine visit to her orphan home, Elspeth is sure that she is bound for the horrendous Obernewtyn, which is said to be a place where Misfits are tortured and studied. Many go into Obernewtyn, and none ever come out. But Obernewtyn and the never-present Doctor Seraphim, Matster of Obernewtyn, is not as bad as the tales make out...on the outside.
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