In 1692, when witch trials gripped the community of Salem, Massachusetts, twenty-six children were accused as witches, exiled, and left for dead. Fourteen of them survived. The Survivors is the first installment of the tantalizing tales of the fourteen ill-fated Survivors and their descendants, who have been content in hiding for over three centuries. Isolated on a Montana mountainside, only Sadie, the rogue daughter, dares to abandon the family's sacred hiding place. But no matter how far Sadie runs, something always pulls her back. On a muggy summer night in Tennessee, she witnesses a shocking scene that will change her life forever. It is the first in a sequence of events that will drag her from the human world she's sought to belong to for over a century and send her back to her Puritanical family and into an uncertain future filled with cunning witches, mysterious nosferatu shape-shifters, dangerous eretica and vieczy vampires, millennia-old mythology, and the search for her own mortality. After all... HOW DO YOU KILL A SURVIVOR? The Survivors will steal your heart and invade your mind. Fall into the pages of Sadie's life, a world so frighteningly similar to your own, you'll find yourself wanting to go to the Montana mountains to find the Survivors for yourself. And it is only the beginning.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Havard effortlessly melds historical facts with spellbinding fiction in this compelling debut of THE SURVIVORS series." -The US Review of Books
"Havard's triumphant debut will leave readers hanging on each page, anxious for the next chapter of Sadie's story!" -RT Book Review
"[Havard] had me absolutely falling in love... a stunning debut that will be sure to captivate readers." -The Book Cellar
"Havard's triumphant debut will leave readers hanging on each page, anxious for the next chapter of Sadie's story!" -RT Book Review
"[Havard] had me absolutely falling in love... a stunning debut that will be sure to captivate readers." -The Book Cellar
About the Author
Amanda Havard has been telling stories since before she could write. She grew up in Dallas, Texas, where her first book was published in her elementary school library at age 7. She received Bachelor s and Master s degrees in education from Vanderbilt University. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her baby grand piano and more story ideas than she could tell in one lifetime.
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More About the Author
Amanda Havard thinks in stories. She writes books and songs, tells stories to people over coffee or in elaborate iPad apps, in short films or subtle photographs. Stories are her life. THE SURVIVORS: BODY & BLOOD is her third novel, and is an amalgamation of all of her storytelling love combined. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, a place where creativity drips from the sap of the trees, radiates from the attitude of the population, and seeps from the concrete. The inventor of the Immersedition™ interactive book app, Havard is always looking for the next best story-- and the most innovative way to tell it.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
At first glance, The Survivors seems like a simple(-ish) story about a girl who is a descended from a line of witches dating back to the Salem Witch Trials. And for the first third of the book, it is. But once you really delve into the book. It becomes so much more. I love when a book takes me by surprise. The Survivors is that book.
The Survivors begins with a prologue set in 1692, the height of the Salem Witch Trials. Twenty-six children were exiled, taken out West in the dead of winter, and left for dead. But, fourteen of those children didn't die, they survived. They developed extraordinary powers and all stopped aging. They had children who also had those traits. Sadie, the main character is one of those children. She was born in the 1860s and stopped aging around the age of twenty-one. Sadie was never content wrapped in the isolation of the world the Survivors created. She wanted to know what exactly they were. The answers the Elders of her people gave were never enough. So, she snuck away. Determined to live in the outside world.
At first, I had a hard time connecting with Sadie. She views humanity through an "outside looking in" lens. She seemed almost robotic, and she sometimes annoyed me. I mean, she's beautiful, extremely wealthy, and will be "forever 21". What's not to like, right? Sadie is envious of the one thing humans have that she does not, mortality. Sadie spends her life on a world-wide mission. Traveling, trying to discover exactly what she is and how she and those like her can be destroyed. She is on a virtual suicide-mission. She wants to be able to stop another Survivor if they become evil, but the reason she seems hell-bent on killing herself never became crystal clear to me.
Where the book becomes very interesting to me is when Sadie meets a man who appears to be like her. Then she meets his family of what appears to be more Survivors. One member of this family, Everett, shares an immediate connection with Sadie. They quickly discover that what they have is beyond a connection. They have a destiny together. When she takes this new family to meet hers, chaos ensues. Unable to get any real answers from Everett and his family and her own family of Survivors, Sadie is set off on a mission to discover the true source of the immortals. She encounters old-world lore regarding vampires, witches and shape-shifters.
I have to say that Sadie's mission of discovery and the mystery surrounding it was my favorite part of the book. It seems the author, Amanda Havard, must have done an immense amount of research into European supernatural lore. The in-depth historical detail is fascinating. The mystery of what the Survivors truly are was gripping. The mystery of what Everett and his family are was jaw-dropping. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, everything changed and I was left scratching my head in wonder. The Survivors had me bound, right up until the very end. I can not wait to read the next book, The Survivors: Point of Origin, due out in 2012.
* I LOVE great quotes. I always write them down when I find a great one. This is my favorite quote from The Survivors:
" 'Sadie, you're a strange girl, so I say this with love,' he said, his voice sincere. 'I need you to love me more than death,' he whispered."
The Survivors begins with a prologue set in 1692, the height of the Salem Witch Trials. Twenty-six children were exiled, taken out West in the dead of winter, and left for dead. But, fourteen of those children didn't die, they survived. They developed extraordinary powers and all stopped aging. They had children who also had those traits. Sadie, the main character is one of those children. She was born in the 1860s and stopped aging around the age of twenty-one. Sadie was never content wrapped in the isolation of the world the Survivors created. She wanted to know what exactly they were. The answers the Elders of her people gave were never enough. So, she snuck away. Determined to live in the outside world.
At first, I had a hard time connecting with Sadie. She views humanity through an "outside looking in" lens. She seemed almost robotic, and she sometimes annoyed me. I mean, she's beautiful, extremely wealthy, and will be "forever 21". What's not to like, right? Sadie is envious of the one thing humans have that she does not, mortality. Sadie spends her life on a world-wide mission. Traveling, trying to discover exactly what she is and how she and those like her can be destroyed. She is on a virtual suicide-mission. She wants to be able to stop another Survivor if they become evil, but the reason she seems hell-bent on killing herself never became crystal clear to me.
Where the book becomes very interesting to me is when Sadie meets a man who appears to be like her. Then she meets his family of what appears to be more Survivors. One member of this family, Everett, shares an immediate connection with Sadie. They quickly discover that what they have is beyond a connection. They have a destiny together. When she takes this new family to meet hers, chaos ensues. Unable to get any real answers from Everett and his family and her own family of Survivors, Sadie is set off on a mission to discover the true source of the immortals. She encounters old-world lore regarding vampires, witches and shape-shifters.
I have to say that Sadie's mission of discovery and the mystery surrounding it was my favorite part of the book. It seems the author, Amanda Havard, must have done an immense amount of research into European supernatural lore. The in-depth historical detail is fascinating. The mystery of what the Survivors truly are was gripping. The mystery of what Everett and his family are was jaw-dropping. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, everything changed and I was left scratching my head in wonder. The Survivors had me bound, right up until the very end. I can not wait to read the next book, The Survivors: Point of Origin, due out in 2012.
* I LOVE great quotes. I always write them down when I find a great one. This is my favorite quote from The Survivors:
" 'Sadie, you're a strange girl, so I say this with love,' he said, his voice sincere. 'I need you to love me more than death,' he whispered."
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Susan B
Format:Kindle Edition
The Survivors and Point of Origin by Amanda Havard are a terrific read. I suggest if you have not bought one you MUST buy both and read them one right after another. Like Lay's potato chips you cannot have just one! These are so original and unique in their treatment of the Paranormal that you hardly realize this is not happening, right now, in our world because you feel like they are right here. They are living right next door...they are at the Post Office in line in front of you or the grocery store buying a melon. Who wouldn't fall in love with Sadie's wardrobe or the dilemma she faces in loving her family or her freedom more. I could not put either book down...darn sleep...and will warn you...you will not be able to stop reading. Leave plenty of time to finish these books, put the kids to bed early, send your husband on a weekend fishing trip, let the dog out and make sure there is food and water in their dishes because from page 1 you will not want to do anything but READ!!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The Survivors is the first book in a promising series with the same name. Full of unique paranormal lore and a variety of paranormal characters with a wide range of abilities, Amanda Havard does a great job at introducing readers to her intriguing world. I loved that this series starts out with the Salem Witch trials. There's been little YA books that have their stories tied to this historical event, and I thought Amanda did an incredible job with creating a series that starts off with this horrific event. Though The Survivors doesn't go into details about the Salem Witch trials, the characters that emerge in this book are children who accused of being witches and driven out of their village a couple weeks after the trail was over.
Being a huge paranormal fan, I really enjoyed the wide range of paranormal characters that are apart of Sadie's story. They cover everything from Witches, Vampires, Shape-Shifters and more are. Though they're deemed "out casts" or aren't considered real in the human world, they all live within in their own family groups trying to blend into a world they've never been accepted into, with little to no human contact for the most part. I loved how their old world views clashed with the world's more modern day views. Being an immortal and hiding out of view from humans since the 1600's would take a toll on me. Luckily Sadie isn't a character who sits by idly and allows those leaders of her "family" to make all the decisions for her. She puts herself out there and wants to learn more about who she is, her family's history, how The Survivors, whom are immortal, can be killed. In doing so she goes to place that's forbidden.
I liked that while The Survivors all live within the human world, they find blending in with humans sinful. The fact that Sadie doesn't let that deter her makes me admire her all the more. She has this fierce determination about her that I loved. She's definitely a strong willed character, and someone I enjoyed getting to know. I admire her independence, her quest for answers, and her ability to live among humans no matter how hard it is. A character who matches Sadie's personality well is her romantic interest Everett. They have this sweet, innocent romance that at times made me want to push them together and tell them to just make out already. I will say I respected Everett and Sadie's strong values and their ability to stick to them. Everett is someone I'm definitely looking forward to getting to know more about. The twist about his family that's revealed towards the end of the book is great!
Aside from the characters, I really enjoyed the historical references and the paranormal history and lore that Amanda created. I loved being able to travel all over the world with Sadie in her quest for answers. Her determination to find out more about her history, how Survivors can be destroyed and so forth as she visits different places looking into the paranormal myths present in each location, added some of the excitement into the story line. I enjoyed The Survivors and I thought Amanda did a great job at laying the foundation for the rest of the series, but I felt like something was missing from the book. Given what some of the characters are, I had excepted a little bit more action in this story than there was. I'm looking forward to Point of Origin, and finding out what's in store for Sadie and family next.
Being a huge paranormal fan, I really enjoyed the wide range of paranormal characters that are apart of Sadie's story. They cover everything from Witches, Vampires, Shape-Shifters and more are. Though they're deemed "out casts" or aren't considered real in the human world, they all live within in their own family groups trying to blend into a world they've never been accepted into, with little to no human contact for the most part. I loved how their old world views clashed with the world's more modern day views. Being an immortal and hiding out of view from humans since the 1600's would take a toll on me. Luckily Sadie isn't a character who sits by idly and allows those leaders of her "family" to make all the decisions for her. She puts herself out there and wants to learn more about who she is, her family's history, how The Survivors, whom are immortal, can be killed. In doing so she goes to place that's forbidden.
I liked that while The Survivors all live within the human world, they find blending in with humans sinful. The fact that Sadie doesn't let that deter her makes me admire her all the more. She has this fierce determination about her that I loved. She's definitely a strong willed character, and someone I enjoyed getting to know. I admire her independence, her quest for answers, and her ability to live among humans no matter how hard it is. A character who matches Sadie's personality well is her romantic interest Everett. They have this sweet, innocent romance that at times made me want to push them together and tell them to just make out already. I will say I respected Everett and Sadie's strong values and their ability to stick to them. Everett is someone I'm definitely looking forward to getting to know more about. The twist about his family that's revealed towards the end of the book is great!
Aside from the characters, I really enjoyed the historical references and the paranormal history and lore that Amanda created. I loved being able to travel all over the world with Sadie in her quest for answers. Her determination to find out more about her history, how Survivors can be destroyed and so forth as she visits different places looking into the paranormal myths present in each location, added some of the excitement into the story line. I enjoyed The Survivors and I thought Amanda did a great job at laying the foundation for the rest of the series, but I felt like something was missing from the book. Given what some of the characters are, I had excepted a little bit more action in this story than there was. I'm looking forward to Point of Origin, and finding out what's in store for Sadie and family next.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Looks Like I've Been Roped Again
Exciting and fast moving plot with great characters and story line twists. The well developed suspense keeps you on the edge of your chair wondering what it's all about. Read more
Published 1 month ago by D.Jacobson
1.0 out of 5 stars
Poor Man's Twilight
Meh...The interlacing of the Salem Witch Trials was what attracted me to this book (and of course that it was only 99 cents and I had an Amazon gift card). Read more
Published 1 month ago by Samantha
5.0 out of 5 stars
Even better the 2nd time!
I read this book for free on Wattpad.....I finally got around to buying it and am glad I did. Amanda's writing is pure and fluid. She paints a beautiful picture with her words. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Headdd
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good story idea
This book had potential. The story idea was good, but.... all the references to clothes designers? Really, what did it have to do with the story line. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Janis Kisman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good
About three quarters through this book I thought I lost it. I was so upset but what could I do but start another book. About three quarters through that Survivor s showed up again. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Kathie Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Original!
Talk about a pleasant surprise!
The story opens with the Salem witch trials in the late seventeenth century, when over two dozen children are exiled to fend for... Read more
The story opens with the Salem witch trials in the late seventeenth century, when over two dozen children are exiled to fend for... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Dii
5.0 out of 5 stars
Romance and suspense.
Love it. Love it. Love it. I usually do not like romance in my reading, but this was great. It had enough suspense to keep me wanting to read more.
Published 5 months ago by Samantha Devon
4.0 out of 5 stars
Strange read
Very strange reading, kept me wondering thru the whole book. The end left me hanging still not sure about the plot. Hoping for a sequel.
Published 5 months ago by kie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Series
I love love love this series! I randomly ordered it because it was free and looked to be interesting, boy was that an understatement! Read more
Published 5 months ago by Emily
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the read
I read the second book in this serious right after the first so I definetly liked it. I did find Sadie hard to relate to but stayed interested in where the story was leading. Read more
Published 5 months ago by daw
