Mortal Tether
A Young Adult Dystopian Apocalyptic Survival Novel
by Candice Jarrett
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Oct 01 2023 | Archive Date Nov 21 2023
Talking about this book? Use #MortalTether #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
Like AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, Candice Jarrett's debut novel MORTAL TETHER masterfully illustrates a child's eye view of family and friendship against the backdrop of a brutally divided and dangerous world. This book is ideal for fans who enjoy STRANGER THINGS, THE HUNGER GAMES, and LORD OF THE FLIES.
An airborne virus twisted all adults on the planet into immortal monsters that hunt children each nightfall. These creatures can never die. But they can kill. And the infection is spreading.
Days shy of fourteen, Amaia knows she can't save the world. She's got snark and attitude for days, but the upper body strength of a hamster. When Amaia teams up with the cute boy from across the street to rescue an orphaned infant from a gruesome fate, the pair of teens must dig deep for their courage and level up their survival skills STAT. The baby's cries are a screeching dinner bell for hordes of hungry geists, and if Amaia can't keep this baby quiet, she'll be next on the menu.
As Amaia fights both for her new family's survival and to uncover the truth of her older brother Carlos' disappearance, a civilization poisoned by fear threatens to destroy anyone she dares to love.
Amaia will find the people she runs to for help... are the deadliest monsters of all.
MORTAL TETHER is YA post-apocalyptic dystopian science fiction with an all-teen cast appropriate for ages 13 and up. Its core themes include how fear-driven tribalization disintegrates society, the fight to preserve innocence in the brutal world our parents built, as well as explorations of faith and family from a coming-of-age perspective. An expertly crafted combination of heart-pounding thrills intertwined with tender moments that stay with you long after you turn the last page.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
"With Mortal Tether, Jarrett has nailed it - and has raised the bar for YA science fiction writers everywhere! Set in a small town following a world-wide, extinction-level event, this apocalyptic story grips readers from the very first pages and propels us through terrifying and heart-pounding adventures. We follow the heroic exploits of a young Boricua protagonist, Amaia, who is thrust into a nightmarish and vicious world of the undead against her will. She digs deep for her courage - and grows up overnight, proving her mettle while matching wits and bravery with her older contemporaries. It is a story of victory, and Jarrett deftly weaves tension-fraught themes reminiscent of Golding's Lord of the Flies where tribalism runs riot, against a subtle backdrop of an evolving religious awareness by the main characters. Once "bitten," you won't be able to put this book down!"
- Michael Fletcher - Author of To Hunt a Holy Man
"MORTAL TETHER is a pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat fantasy that draws you in and won't let go until you turn the final page. As the Plague of Ashes descends, Amaia is orphaned but resolve and unwavering faith spur her on an unpredictable and perilous journey that redefines the ties that formulate the meaning of family. This compelling novel belongs at the top of your reading list!"
- Karen Neary Smithson - Award-Winning Author of Death in Disguise
"Conventional tropes need not apply! 'Mortal Tether' is an electrifyingly original debut that is paced like an anxious doomsday clock. If you're searching for a powerful new voice in literature, just follow Candice Jarrett. She knows the neighborhood."
- David Buzan - Award-Winning Author of In the Lair of Legends
Marketing Plan
I've created banners and graphics reviewers are free to use when talking about the book on their blogs and social media! Download them on my website here:
https://candicejarrett.com/mortal-tether-social-banners/
If you want an image of Mortal Tether to use in your social media but don't see your preferred size, please contact me. candicebooktok@gmail.com
I'm very active on BookTok, so if you want to connect there, please find me at https://tiktok.com/@bookvideo.
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9798989103331 |
PRICE | $7.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 288 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Jarrett creates a captivating story that sucks you in from the first page. I found myself reading chapter after chapter desperate to know what happened next.
Mortal Tether is a thrilling yet charming story that sticks to the heart of the YA genre.
I can’t wait to add a physical copy to my collection.
This truly is a gripping piece peppered with literary allusions and vivid figurative language. Her descriptions made you feel like you were watching a movie.
I appreciated that the author did not shy away from complex emotional conversations as the main characters explore their new reality. .
I loved this book and will definitely recommend to my family, friends, and followers.
I have received this book as an ARC. My opinion is honest and unbiased.
I am not joking when I say that I couldn't put this book down and I had to read it all straight away. This is just incredible.
In my eyes this book has elements of Lord of the flies (there's even an easter egg!), Stranger things, and the Goonies with a dash of The last of us mixed in. The children (that are protagonists of the story) are not taken seriously by the adults, however at the end of the day they are so much more than the adults gave them credit for.
The vibe also reminds me of the tabletop role play game Tales from the Loop.
I really hope that the story of Amaia, Liam, Sara and everyone else will continue, and I will for sure be there to read about it. Read this, you will not regret it.
Mortal Tether had me ready to turn each page as I read along. From the very first chapter, I was hooked and wanted to know how the main characters would navigate this new scary world in which they become the hunted at dusk. Character relationships are described so well. Highly recommend this read,
**No Spoilers**
The world building and character development are very well done. This book was a real page turner and kept me glued to the pages from the start.
I was given an ARC for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this, it was a nice easy read I snuggled up on a wet Sunday and slipped into a world of ash, teens and a fight for survival. I loved the difference of this book it was a unique story. I adored Liam Amaia and baby Sara for being such young kids they were strong brave and loyal. I will be buying this for my younger sister for her Christmas Eve book as I think she would love it too perfect for a young teen / adult who love post apocalyptic with fantastic characters and a good story
I wouldn't usually have chosen to read this sort of book because as much as I love a good post-apocalypse/dystopia, I'm not a fan of zombies or monsters or the paranormal and there's definitely a lot of that going on here. I am so pleased I decided to give it a go. I suspect this was because of the baby that the two main children, Amaia and Liam, find and the relationship that they build with her. Typically in stories, it would be the girl who bonds most easily with a baby but this is not the case. I also found the ages of Amaia and Liam interesting, as they're not quite old enough to try to have a parent/child relationship with the baby. She very much becomes their sister and as with siblings, they find her irritating at times as well as being fiercely protective. I liked seeing the changes in Amaia from being the younger sibling to suddenly being in the older sibling role that previously only belonged to Carlos.
There were a couple of spelling mistakes but this is the only negative one can think of and is certainly not worth knocking a star off for!
Mortal Tether follows the impulsive but sweet 13-year-old Amaia on her apocalyptic coming-of-age journey. Jarrett has created a really unique and fresh spin in the zombie and dystopian genres. Themes of found family, gang-like rivalry and perseverance bring this story together solidly. While Amaia is religious, I appreciated that this did not feel preachy in any way While this is YA, I think this could definitely be appropriate for readers teetering between young readers and YA. If you liked Day Break, you will LOVE this book.
This books reads like a tv show!
The characters are really compelling, and don’t really do the normal apocalypse stuff that is suspected, but act like someone who knows the genre. It was really interesting to see these two teens start to see each other as friends and eventually as family, because of everything that happened to them.
It’s also interesting to see some other aspects of post apocalyptic settlements that you don’t normally see. This is specifically directed at Unity, and how that whole place works.
The books feels really dynamic, and the flow is great. I might actually buy this.
"A mortal tether is what binds us to this world. It's all the beautiful things in our life that make it worth living."
Mortal Tether reminded me a lot of Michael Grant's Gone series mixed the Ghosts from Marie Lu's Skyhunter.
The story is quickly paced, focusing on Amaia and Liam as they struggle to survive in a world where all adults have been turned into zombie creatures. There was rarely a dull moment, plus a handful of plot twists to keep me guessing until the very end. My only complaint plotwise would be that the ending felt a bit rushed and left on a note of uncertainty, despite this being what I believe to be a standalone novel. I still liked the ending, it just felt awfully convenient how it concluded. Still, I'm satisfied with it.
Surprisingly, the highlight for me in this story was the characters. First of all, I just want to mention how much I loved Amaia and Liam's relationship and how it didn't dissolve automatically into romantic feelings. It's implied that Liam has strong feelings for Amaia, but she still sees him as her best friend. Good platonic relationships are hard to find in literature, but this book did a great job. I also thought the characters were portrayed very realistically. Yes, they could be overdramatic or a bit crazy at times, but I kept reminding myself that all of them were children in an extremely stressful environment. Of course, they're going to react in certain ways.
Mortal Tether is a great new dystopian survival story that fans of Gone and The 100 will really enjoy.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/5
"I want her to grow up knowing that a person can be both sweet and tough, fragile and strong... and just because a girl's in distress doesn't mean she's a damsel in distress. It's ok to need help."
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Joanna Rubin Dranger
Biographies & Memoirs, Comics, Graphic Novels, Manga, History
Publishers Lunch
General Fiction (Adult), Nonfiction (Adult), Teens & YA