Untraceable: The Nature of Grace series [Paperback]

S. R. Johannes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 23, 2011

Uncontrollable - Book 2 is available

Unstoppable - Book 3 coming Summer 2013

WINNER OF THE 2012 INDIEREADER DISCOVERY AWARD (YA).

Everyone leaves a mark. 

What would you do if yours was erased?

Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he's dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she's enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it's going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Grace is a spunky, independent, nature girl who doesn't need a boy to save her. With wilderness survival, a juicy love triangle, and more twists and turns than a roller coaster, this fast-paced novel had me holding my breath until the very last page!" - Kimberly Derting (author of the popular Body Finder series) 

2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Quarterfinalist  - Judge Review:

"This story starts out with a bang...and had the ring of a young person's style and intensity. Authentic representation of ...action. Original in premise and style, and good use of background...Good story!" - Sue Grafton, author of bestselling Kinsey Milhone series

"This thrilling story is a dramatic entanglement of mystery, deception and teen romance.  The action flows like a brisk mountain stream interspersed with rapids, holding suspense to last page."- Kirkus Review 

2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Quarterfinalist  - Judge Review:

"This murder mystery features a teenaged heroine... The prose is very descriptive...and the dialogue is genuine. The setting of small town ...and surrounding woods is appealing. The story moves along at a brisk clip..."- Sue Monk Kidd, author of Secret Life of Bees 

"Johannes has done a marvelous job of creating a suspense-filled mystery with surprises that keep you guessing all the way to the end. Untraceable is a thoroughly engrossing and riveting page-turner." - Indie Reader

From the Author

Dear Reader:

     This book has been a long time coming.
     When I started it a couple years back, I had no idea if it would ever see the light of day. After many ups and downs in publishing, it came down to just me. I believed in this book when no one else did.

     The idea for Untraceable first came to me one day when my hubby came back from a camping trip. He said (in a British accent!), "I was so far out in the wilderness that crazy people could do anything and easily get away with it." 

     At the time, I noted it but put the comment away.  It was the seed that got planted in my imagination, only to bloom later. 

     A year later, I visited Cherokee, North Carolina with my family. Amidst the beauty and peaceful setting of the Smoky Mountains, I came across something that deeply disturbed me. Something I could not fathom or understand. Something that I never expected to still exist in today's world.

     That gave me an idea and passion for this book. It inspired me to create a suspenseful thriller that still holds a splash of romance, while addressing some concerns I have with how some choose to treat nature and animals. Even today.

     I created Grace because I felt I wasn't seeing someone like her in today's books. I love all of the paranormal and dystopic books out there, but I noticed a trend.  There were tons of strong, bada$$ girls - but they were always placed in imaginary words with special magical powers that made them strong.

     I set out to create a character who is strong, yet feminine and funny. Someone who is independent in today's world. Our world. A girl who could take care of herself in real life and whose life does NOT revolve around mean boys or bad hair days. Grace's life revolves around something more. Something deep that she cares for. Because I think we don't give these real girls enough air time or enough credit in our books. 

     Untraceable is my way of making a small difference while somehow, just maybe, shedding a ray of light on a very dark spot in this world.

     Don't get me wrong, this book is fun, thrilling, and mysterious - oh yeah - and there are also two hot boys and some great kissing. :) But underneath all of that is a hint of something horrible replaced with a small thread of hope.

     I hope you like it and I would love to hear from you anytime! You can email me at [e-mail] or visit me online at srjohannes.com.

Best 

Shelli

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Coleman & Stott (November 23, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0984799125
• ISBN-13: 978-0984799121
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (171 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #843,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

S.R. Johannes is the award-winning author of the Amazon bestselling Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller series) and new tween paranormal, On The Bright Side. She has also published short novelettes as well as a teen romance anthology with 16 other authors titled, In His Eyes. Uncontrollable is the sequel to Untraceable, and Unstoppable (book 3) is scheduled for Summer 2013.

S.R. Johannes is the YA advisor of ALLi and a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult category). She was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult category), a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Young Adult of 2012, and a YA Finalist in the US Book News best Book of 2012.

After earning an MBA and working in corporate America doing marketing for over 15 years, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, English-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Letters Inside Out November 25, 2011

By Amanda Miller

Format:Kindle Edition

I had been eyeing Untraceable for awhile. Look at the cover, it's lovely in a subtle sort of way. When the author emailed me about reviewing it, I immediately jumped on the chance and managed to fit it in right away.

Grace's father has been missing for other 3 months and she's convinced he's still alive, despite everyone around her saying he isn't. She knows that he knows the mountains so well that something is obviously wrong. To the point of obsession and at the risk of alienating everyone around her, she keeps looking for him.

Grace is such a strong-willed character, I hope to think that in the same situations I would be as determined to believe that my loved one was still alive out there somewhere. And then there is Mo - hot with an English/Australian accent. YUM. There is a bit of mystery surrounding him and that adds to make it even more fun.

The entire premise had me fascinated, but horrified. As more and more is discovered though about just what is happening in the Smokies, I found myself gasping during the intense scenes. And there are some pretty intense scenes. Untraceable covers some issues that I am planning on looking into further as an animal lover and I'm sure it'll stick with me for a long time to come.

I need the second book immediately. The ending has a bit of a cliffhanger that has me really curious to see where Johannes takes the series.

I received the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read. November 26, 2011

By KAYJO

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Untraceable starts off with Grace looking for clues about her father after everyone else gave up. She refuses to believe she will never see him again and to the annoyance of the town sheriff she is keeping the investigation alive.

I have to admit, it is not very often I read a book that isn't fantasy or paranormal. Most stories that don't have some sort of supernatural entity do not interest me. This book definitely is the exception and I really enjoyed it. Grace is brave in ways I could only dream of being. She's a gutsy person and an extremely likable character. While out in the woods looking for clues she meets super cute Mo. It wasn't long before I was wanting to see a relationship between them unfold.

The descriptions given to us makes Grace's world very easy to picture. It made me want to grab a fishing pole (to bad I don't actually fish) and run out into the wilderness and enjoy all it's glory. The story is fast paced and the way it all tied together in the end was a whirl wind ride I never saw coming.

Shelli is a terrific writer. What makes me like the story so much is that it made me feel real emotions. I really cared about Grace and those surrounding her.

Untraceable is a wilderness thriller in every sense and I recommend you read this book.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Untracable is Amazing! November 22, 2011

By Elle Strauss

Format:Kindle Edition

Sixteen year old Grace is the daughter of a local wild life officer who taught her all the survival skills she would ever need, despite her tendency to trip over branches. What her father hadn't bargained for was how badly she would need those skills once he went missing.

Grace isn't the kind of girl to give up easily. Even when he is officially presumed dead, and everyone including the local sheriff, her mother and the town shrink, are telling her to move on with her life, something tells Grace that they're wrong.

The only person who will help her is Wyn, her childhood friend and recent ex-boyfriend. He's not exactly at home in the woods and so his support is of the moral kind.

Then there's Mo, the mysterious boy who rescues Grace from a dangerous encounter in the woods. He likes her and willingly helps her look for her father and track down bear poachers. But who is he, really? Can he be trusted?

Untraceable starts off with a comfortable pace, drawing us into the life of the town and the characters within, building tension with every chapter. And don't think you will be able to stop reading at the end of one. SR is the queen of chapter cliff hangers!

And oh, the ending! You'll have to read it to decide what you think.

I highly recommend Untraceable giving it a strong 4.5 stars out of 5. This is a book that has stayed with me long after I finished reading it, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow - who knew?? September 10, 2012

By Vicki L

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm starting to realize that some of the better books are in the YA category - more plot, less reliance on romance and sex! What a refreshing approach.
This book kept me guessing almost the whole time. I appreciated the fact that the "good guys" have flaws. Grace isn't perfect, but she is strong. Her relationship with her mother rings true, and so does her unwillingness to accept the fact of her father's death.
The author certainly did a lot of research to make this a good read. I am eagerly anticipating the next installment!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story with a few strange errors September 10, 2012

By Avid Reader

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Grace is a great character and I enjoyed her story. However, in five decades of riding motorcycles I've never found one with a gas pedal. I haven't seen a kick start bike in almost that long either, although some do exist. Bullets, or rounds (cartridge case, bullet, powder and primer) only come apart by extracting the bullet from the case-never saw one with a split down the side. Shotgun shells use a wad to push the shot balls down the barrel-not loose with the powder. Dum-dums, as I recall-never actually used one-are rounds with a couple of splits started in the end of a lead bullet. This to cause it to break up and cause more damage when it hits its target.

In spite of these jarring errors, I enjoyed the story.