The Society of S: A Novel [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Susan Hubbard (Author), Joyce Bean (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2007

What if everything you knew about your family was a lie: What if, when the lies began to crack, beneath them lay a truth so dark and deep, yet so compelling, that it pulled you inside?Ariella Montero is seeking the true identities of her mother and father-and of herself. She's been taught literature, philosophy, science, and history, but she knows almost nothing about the real world and its complexities. Her world is one wherein ghosts and vampires commune with humans; where Edgar Allan Poe and Jack Kerouac are role models; where every time a puzzle seems solved, its last piece changes the entire picture.When the last piece is murder, Ari goes on the road in search of her mother, who disappeared at the time of her birth. The hunt nearly costs Ari her life, and, in finding her mother, she loses her father. But gradually she uncovers the secrets that have kept the family apart, and she begins to come to terms with her own unique nature and her chances for survival.Set in upstate New York, England, and the American South, The Society of S explodes stereotypes-of the homeschooled, vampires, monkeys, FBI agents, and academics. In this strange new world, vegetarianism, environmentalism, biomedical research, and the ability to disappear are options for those who drink blood and face the prospect of eternal life.A taut, character-driven literary mystery, The Society of S is the future of vampirism, told in a voice that will haunt you-and make you think.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Identity issues involving a child of mixed heritage get a supernatural spin in this affecting coming-of-age tale. Ariella Montero's mother vanished the day she was born, leaving her to the care of her overprotective scientist father, who homeschools her and limits her contact with the outside world. Only when she reaches adolescence does Ari discover that her special diet and insular home life set her apart from her peers. Her father's confession that he was vampirized shortly before marriage, and that Ari can choose whether to be undead like him or mortal like mom, set her off on a road trip that eventually brings her to her mother and into an understanding of tough truths about her family. Hubbard (Walking on Ice) delineates Ari's world of innocent and uncertain adolescence with uncommon poignance and forgoes sensationalism for sensitivity in her depiction of vampirism as one of many emotionally charged challenges Ari faces as a child of estranged parents. She doesn't do much original with the vampire theme, but the novel's open ending suggests inevitable sequels where this may develop further. Author tour. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Think of a jigsaw puzzle, Ariella Montero writes in her journal. Even when it isn't assembled, the pieces scattered in the box contain the picture. Ariella is 13 and very sheltered. She is homeschooled by her father, a scientist, and lives in a large Victorian house. Ariella wants to know all about her mother, who disappeared when the girl was born, and about the world and where she fits into it. Through Mrs. McGarrit, the housekeeper, she meets other teens and starts questioning her own lifestyle. Going to the library with Mrs. McGarrit's daughter, Ariella finds the Internet, and the answers to her questions lead her into danger. It seems that the Monteros are vampires. At least Mr. Montero is, and now it is more important than ever to Ariella to find her mother. How she solves the mystery of her family's unhappiness, as well as how to cope with her own feelings and problems, form the plot. This is a solid story of a girl coming of age, wanting her family to be together, and wishing to belong to something. The author doesn't use supernatural elements as a crutch, but instead they enhance an already strong narrative.–Dana Cobern-Kullman, Luther Burbank Middle School, Burbank, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Tantor Media; Unabridged edition (May 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400104262
• ISBN-13: 978-1400104260
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,500,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Susan Hubbard is the author of seven books, including the Ethical Vampire Series published by Simon & Schuster: THE SEASON OF RISKS (2010), THE YEAR OF DISAPPEARANCES (2008), and THE SOCIETY OF S (2007). Hubbard's short story collection, BLUE MONEY, won the Janet Heidinger Kakfa Prize for best book of prose by an American woman published in 1999. Her first book, WALKING ON ICE, received the AWP Short Fiction Prize. With Robley Wilson, Hubbard coedited 100% PURE FLORIDA FICTION, an anthology of the best stories set in Florida. Her fiction has appeared in several literary journals and has been translated and published in more than fifteen countries.

Hubbard is a professor of English at the University of Central Florida, where she received the College of Arts & Humanities' Distinguished Researcher Award in 2008. She has won teaching awards from Syracuse University, Cornell University, the University of Central Florida, and the South Atlantic Administrators of Departments of English. She has received writers' residencies at Yaddo, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Djerassi Resident Artists' Project, and Cill Rialaig. In 2002-03 she served as President of Associated Writers and Writing Programs (AWP). For more information, please visit www.susanhubbard.com
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Reviews:

*NPR called the Ethical Vampire Series"elusive, complex, poetic, and sophisticated."

*The Ft. Myers News-Press
 called THE SOCIETY OF S "...the year's most intriguing fiction debut to date," and in reviewing THE YEAR OF DISAPPEARANCES, noted, "Anyone still lingering under the misconception that academics can't compete in the majors would be well advised to pick up either of Hubbard's novels, which combine the creepiness of Stephen King with the acute social commentary of the Beats, Philip K. Dick and Don De Lillo." May 25, 2008

*The Sacramento Bee summarized THE SOCIETY OF S this way:
"...this beautifully written literary novel works as a touching coming-of-age story about a child in search of her missing mother." June 24, 2007

* New River Voice noted: "Amid the proliferation of new fiction this year, two brightly macabre novels stand out as fine summer reads: Stephen King's DUMA KEY and Susan Hubbard's THE YEAR OF DISAPPEARANCES." -July 14, 2008

* "Hubbard tells a good story and provides some acerbic political satire." --The Rocky Mountain News, July 24, 2008

"With a delicate touch, the talented Hubbard manages to merge environmental concerns with a murder mystery, a coming of age tale with a literary vampire twist." The St. Petersburg Times, May 14, 2008

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful. Do NOT miss this read!, April 26, 2007

By 

Cedric's Mom (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Society of S: A Novel (Hardcover)

Susan Hubbard is already an award-winning short story writer, but the Society of S is my first encounter with her work. It won't be my last, though. I absolutely love this book.

Ariella Montero is an atypical 13 YO girl who desperately wants to find the secret behind her mother's disappearance immediately after her birth. Ariella is homeschooled by her impossibly handsome and equally mysterious father, who works as a scientist in the basement when he isn't schooling his daughter in literature, history, science and philosophy. When dad isn't teaching or experimenting, he sits quietly and peacefully in his conservatory reading Edgar Allan Poe and drinking Picardo.

Susan Hubbard has created a completely believable and empathetic cast of characters, characters that I hope to see much more of in the future. For anyone who loves literary mystery, vampire tales, inventive writing and a great story, this book is an absolute must read. Hubbard's experience as a short story writer has taught her how to pace her novel. Having suffered through a few over-rated and long-winded reads this year only to finish them feeling cheated, I can say for certain that there is a great deal to be said for a writer who knows how to set up a story and actually deliver the goods throughout the book at certain points.

You will not be disappointed in the time it takes to polish off this atmospheric 300-page wonder. A good story that is well told, well paced, exciting, interesting...I can't say enough good things about this book. Don't miss the Society of S.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A deviation from typical vampire lore, but just as riveting, August 3, 2007

By 

Fiendishly Bookish "fiendishlybookish" (The Virtual Ether....) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Society of S: A Novel (Hardcover)

In a surprising deviation from conventional vampire lore, Susan Hubbard has created a coming of age novel that is elegantly written and lingers long after the last page has turned. But if readers are expecting the typical tale of lusty vampires mired in melancholia, then the unraveling journey of young Ariella Montero might prove a bit tame.

The Society of S evolves meticulously to chronicle the quest of 13-year-old Ariella who endeavors to solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her mother. But every clue brings her closer to discovering her own true nature-an identity that her father has strangely suppressed.

Issues begin to plague her beyond normal teenage angst-why is her mirror image always skewed? Why can't her father be photographed? Why is she always anemic? Who is watching her in the shadows? What is going on in the basement with her father's research with Seradrone? Something is churning in the depths of her that she doesn't recognize-something not entirely human. And it wants out.

As these permutations unveil in their gloomy Saratoga Springs manse, her research scientist father observes the ultimate experiment in his daughter, with a curious detached fascination-determined that nature take its course without interference. Has he begat a predator, a distinctive "other", or an ordinary mortal?

Hubbard cautiously skirts around the issue, as if not ready to let go of the secret of Ariella and her father. There is no exclamatory "a ha!" once the secret is revealed. Strangely devoid of the passion that makes vampire mythology so enticing, Hubbard engages in subtlety. There are no vampires morphing into bats, or lashing out in dramatic fights with antique Valenciennes lace at their necks.

While it may not be a "Hollywood" or "Bram Stoker" vision, or even resemble anything closely to Anne Rice, the Society of S begs to challenge the reader by analyzing what it means to be immortal through the eyes of literature. Clearly the pursuit of knowledge is the theme throughout the book and a worthy occupation for the undead.

Readers will be strangely riveted by Hubbard's take on the modern vampire, despite the apparent mundane suburban feel within the fabric of the plot. But the novel captures an indefinable something that makes it appealing as well. Worth the read to discover that the journey is just as important as the destination.Copyright(c)Nicola Mattos

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Read, May 9, 2007

By 

Kristina (Somerville, Morocco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Society of S: A Novel (Hardcover)

Susan Hubbard's "Society of S" seamlessly combines the impeccable intellect of a free thinker with the passionate curiosity of a child and gives rise to Ariella Montero--a sheltered, but brilliant girl, home-schooled by her proper, reclusive scientist father, desperate to know about the mother who left after her birth. The voice of this 13-year-old captivated me immediately and I was soon shuddering at the sight of mutilated ghosts and laughing at the painfully old-fashioned aunt, while turning page after page to get to the bottom of her father's secret and her mother's disappearance.

The freshness of Hubbard's language and the beauty of her descriptions lends Ariella's journey a poetic quality, yet the universal nature of her search for answers and for a balance between breaking out of your shell and breaking to pieces makes (even the supernatural aspects of) this novel tangibly real and believable. This is an enchanting, memorable read, filled with secrets and scents, troubles and tastes, that just might make you want to go eat honey or oysters, and just might make you raise your glass in the company of your loved ones and say "So let us rejoice/While we are young"--regardless of your age.