Transcentdent by Katelyn Detweiler is a unique YA novel.

To start this review off, I have to admit that this book was definitely not for me. I did not enjoy this book even though I typically love YA novels. I dig the whole "only, special person" trope and love peeking into dystopian worlds. Unfortunately, this book just didn't hit me the right way. Katelyn had an absolutely stunning tone and writing style and I'm sure many other readers will enjoy this book.

This book has an interesting plot: A bomb goes off at Disney World and the world is in ruins. The happiest place on earth is now not so happy. All of this happens due to all of the negativity in this world - because terrorists suck, of course. In comes Iris, the teen girl we are following. Turns out, she's "special". Her Mom had a virgin birth and she is essentially the second becoming of Jesus Christ. She can help heal people and make people happy. Her parents don't want her to become famous and take advantage of these powers. She struggles with her sense of self, meets a cute boy, and ends of deciding what to do by the end.

This book had a lot of potential for me, but it fell flat. A lot of the book felt like everyday activities and not much plot. Throw in a romance that didn't need to be there, and I felt... cheated. If the romance would have had more meaning to the story, I probably would have liked it a little bit more. It felt like the romance was there to fit into the YA mold. Similarly, there was one terrorist attack and... that was it? So we needed a girl to come out after a terror attack at one public place? That's... kind of normal these days. If there would have been more terror or horrors, I think it would have made more sense. The amount of good Iris can do didn't exactly match the level of bad one terror attack is (in comparison to our everyday events now. Terrorism is still awful, don't get me wrong).

The book was lacking for me. I had hoped it would pick up speed or add a reason for the romance (Jesus had Mary Magdalene so maybe that could have been brought in?). With all of the religious references, I wish it would have went full force or not at all on it.

And then the book just... exists. There was a lot of substance and descriptions but not a lot of plot. I'm the type of person who needs fast plots, lots of drama, and that good heaping of romance. It just didn't have enough of each for my liking.

So, you might be thinking this review sounds mighty negative. And yes, I feel kinda bad about that since Katelyn's writing was INCREDIBLE. I love how she describes things and I love her tone. Her writing style matched my reading style and I want to read more by her in the future for sure! I would absolutely support her. Unfortunately, we can't like all of the books we read.

Side note: This book is a sequel apparently! Iris's Mom has her own book!

One out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

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I thought this story was okay. From the description, I thought it was going to be placed in the magical, supernatural genre but nope, didn't happen, which to me was disappointing. Iris isn't a bad character and I liked Zane and Zoey, but I didn't feel like the characters had too much depth in them. I didn't care for the characters. The "magical" part fell flat. I did like the way the author showed a little of how people react if there is a modern "virgin" birth and if that baby is from God. It was just an okay story that didn't make want to keep reading except that I got it free and I knew it was going to expire off my Ipad, so I wanted to finish before it disappeared. I really had high hopes for this book too.

I received this book through Penguin Random House First to Read program. ( )

Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for a free copy of Transcendent!

Oh boy, this book messed me up. In a thought-provoking way. In a good way, I think. In a makes-reviewing-and-rating-difficult kind of way.

Let's get this out there first: I'm an agnostic, and a deconverted one at that, so preachy books tend to get my back up. As I got into this book and realized what it was about, I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

But this book doesn't get preachy. For a book that's about the maybe-second-messiah, for a book that takes for granted that the virgin birth is true, it doesn't really get into religion at all. Giving people hope, yes. Compassion, yes. Accepting the unexplainable, yes. A beautiful love letter to the power of music, yes. A big advertisement for Christianity, not so much. I was relieved and impressed.

Now here's where I got conflicted. All the way through, I was thinking about how easy this all was for Iris. She even comments on this -- when she tells people to do something, they do it with minimal resistance. It's proof that there might be something special going on with her.

But it just felt so... easy. Look at Jesus getting crucified. Now look at a teenage girl who just tells some guys to quit bullying and they do. There's a mismatch.

And then I thought about those signs that the protesters had, and I realized that maybe my thought process matched theirs a little too much, and that was horrifying. Why should she have to go through horrible experiences? Why, when she's already got enough to deal with in her life, shouldn't the occasional thing come easy to her? Why am I so hellbent on characters having a rough time of it?

I don't know.

So, I was kind of frustrated at the plot because everything worked out so easily... and then I was frustrated with myself for feeling that way. I don't know what to think about this book.

But, I mean, it was well-written. I loved Iris and her friends. I read it all in one sitting. And it avoided all of the pitfalls I hoped it would. I realize now that it ties in to Katelyn Detweiler's first book, and I think I'll be picking that one up too. ( )

Transcendent is a story about belief. Iris is the 17yr old daughter of Mina (who immaculately conceives Iris, but no one believes Mina’s story). The premise of the story takes place a month after a bombing occurs at Disney World. Like everyone else around her, Iris is trying to sort out her feelings regarding these traumatic events. One day a stranger comes to her door and pleads for her mother’s “miracle” child to cure his dying daughter. Now all of a sudden Iris’s “normal” life is turned upside down as she learns the truth about herself.
To some, the “virgin birth” of Iris might conjure up the idea that this is a religious book. But that is not the case with this story. Transcendent isn’t set around one specific religion. Instead, it is about the idea and concept of belief. What it means to believe and how believing in something or someone can inspire hope in darker times. Which is why after the tragic events that occur in this book, people are so willing to believe that Iris is a “miracle”. They need something or someone to give them hope and they see Iris as that hope.
With the expectations of the world on her shoulder, it is no wonder that Iris flees her home once she discovers the truth from her parents. Frightened and looking for a way to cope with these sudden revelations she ends up at a homeless shelter. While she processes her feelings, Iris befriends siblings Zane and Zoey. Iris knows she is no “savior” or healer, but together with the help of her family and her new friends she finds the courage to use her musical talent and persuasive ability to heal people’s internal suffering rather than their external pain.
Transcendent is well written though it did lag a bit in a few places. The author did a great job creating a realistic and plausible story. However, the ending felt rushed. I think Transcendent is more of a general YA fiction instead of magical realism. Though there are some hints to magical realism, they did not feel strong enough (for me at least).
I did like Iris and I felt protective of her. She wasn’t perfect which made her a relatable heroine. After all, which of us at age 17 would be willing to self-sacrifice for the good of the world? To take on the challenges of making everything better for millions of people? Who just like Iris would not feel overwhelmed and lost? The friendship sparked between Iris with Zane and Zoey made good additions to the story. It helped us see Iris reach out and touch the lives of other children her own age, and brought emotional depth to the characters.
While it is not the story I was expecting, Transcendent did surprise me. The author did a fantastic job keeping her story from becoming overly preachy. Transcendent is about finding the strength to believe in yourself. It teaches us to find our own happiness and to help others who are struggling find it too. It is also about how we should focus on love and acceptance over resentment and hate. Overall, Transcendent is about finding the everyday miracles in each other and in every moment of our lives.
I would like to thank Viking books for Young Readers and Leah at PressshopPR for providing me with a finished copy of Transcendent in return for an honest review. ( )