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    Obernewtyn: Obernewtyn Chronicles: Book One
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    Obernewtyn: Obernewtyn Chronicles: Book One
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    Obernewtyn: Obernewtyn Chronicles: Book One
    Ebook269 pages4 hours

    Obernewtyn: Obernewtyn Chronicles: Book One

    By Isobelle Carmody

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    In a world struggling back from the brink of apocalypse, life is harsh. But for Elspeth Gordie, born with enhanced mental abilities, it is also dangerous. Survival is only by secrecy and so she determines never to use her forbidden powers. But it is as if they have their own imperative and she is brought to the attention of the totalitarian Council that rules the Land.

    Banished to the remote mountain institution of Obernewtyn, she must throw off her cloak of concealment and pit herself against those that would resurrect the terrible forces of the apocalypse. Only then will she learn most truly who and what she is . . .

    Elspeth is determined to uncover the plot and so, accompanied only by her cat, Maruman, embarks on a terrible adventure full of danger, the conclusion to which promises not just uncertainty about her safety but also that of many around her.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateSep 19, 2011
    ISBN9781408811689
    Unavailable
    Obernewtyn: Obernewtyn Chronicles: Book One
    Author

    Isobelle Carmody

    Isobelle Carmody wrote the first book in the Obernewtyn series over twenty years ago. Since its publication this series has consistently been on the Australian bestseller list. Isobelle divides her time between Australia and Prague.

    Read more from Isobelle Carmody

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    Reviews for Obernewtyn

    4/5

    364 ratings21 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Slow to start but gets better. A lot of the first couple of chapters is world building. Can totally see why Isobel Carmody has such a following. And why they are hanging out for the end of this series. Great one for pre teen good readers
    • 5/5
      The beginning of a quest. The start of figuring out who you are?
    • 3/5
      Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody is the first book in The Obernewtyn Chronicles. It was first published in 1987, but still holds up today as a well written dystopian novel. The book starts off a little slow for me, though I'm sure it's hard to build and describe a dystopian world. Today's books usually start off with more action, but Carmody took her time to give us a true sense of the world.The story is told in first person narrative. Quite often that made things more passive. Instead of relating what was said in exact words, Elspeth will tell us that she told them such and such and they said okay. I'd rather the actual interaction was played out. Also, dialects were used in some of the characters speech such as, "Dinna worry 'bout 'er." That was hard to read. Characters could have been more well rounded, but as it's a series, I hope that happens as the books progress.The world and storyline were well written. It helped me to overlook the other minor annoyances and keep me reading. I do want to know what happens next!
    • 3/5
      This book had brilliant characters and a pretty good storyline, however it seemed to me the writing was at times a bit ambigious. I don't know, maybe it was just me. But I did enjoy it and am looking forward to the next ones. And now I have one book marked off my Aussie Readers Summer Challenge list :)
    • 3/5
      Somewhat complicated plot but a good read .... post apocalyptic, far seeking, communication with animals, torture of orphans, distant farms, misfits and escape plots .... and many more books in the series ?
    • 3/5
      First published in 1987, Obernewtyn really just reads like a book from that era. I don't really know how to explain that, except that I've read dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction from then and from now, and it very much reads like the former. Partly, this stems from the formatting, broken into a number of short books, because in the 80s and 90s publishers did not have the same faith in teenage attention spans that they do now.

      Pulled in by the pretty cover with the intense looking girl, pretty mountains and a cat, I had no conception of what I was getting myself into. Apparently, as the infodumping all over the beginning of the novel told me, humanity made machines that destroyed the world, irradiating and polluting it. Many people died immediately, but some hardy farmers survived. These farmers established a new order, one opposed to technology and worshipful of Lud (their God). They also dictated a policy to kill any seditious people and those affected by radiation, Misfits.

      Oddly, though, they don't kill ALL of the misfits. Some are kept alive as workers or sent to the mysterious estate of Obernewtyn, much feared, because, like with a roach motel, those who go there check in but don't check out. Elspeth, the heroine, has, of course, psychic powers, able to speak with animals in her mind and sometimes having prophetic dreams. She, as expected, gets discovered, though for the more minor misfit tendency of the dreams, and shipped off to Obernwtyn.

      There, mysterious happenings are afoot. People disappear. There's a creepy doctor running tests. A weird machine that attempts to take over Elspeth's mind. The people running Obernewtyn appear to be evil. On the other hand, for once in her life, Elspeth has real friends who know her for who and what she is and accept her. She has more freedom than ever before, but her life is in great danger.

      Obernewtyn failed to really shine, though the story does exhibit promise. For one thing, you never really learn anything about the characters particularly. While I liked Elspeth, Matthew and Dameon well enough, all I really know is that they're nice people with powers. The world building, too, is half-hearted. I enjoyed the idea of this book, but never got sucked into Carmody's world.

      Personally, I would label the book more post-apocalyptic than dystopian, though many people on Goodreads would disagree with me. There are elements of both, however. On the plus side, there's no romance in here, so I suspect there will be eventually. For now, it's a nice respite from the modern, romance-focused dystopian and post-apocalyptic tales.

      Despite how slow much of the book was for me, I am curious enough to keep going with this series, because, at the very least, the books are short. I suspect these might be more enjoyable for middle grade readers.
    • 3/5
      Plot: 4 stars
      Characters: 3 stars
      Style: 2 stars
      Pace: 3 stars

      Given the age of this book, not bad. Post apocalyptic version of Tamora Pierce, essentially. A bit simple of a story, it was still a quick, decent read.
    • 4/5
      I am excited to continue this series.

      The prose is a little... unrefined and slightly flawed, and the characters are not deep or extremely well developed, but what do you want? It is a short book in a long series. The story lays a nice groundwork and I feel like it is only just getting started. Also, I saw somewhere that Isobelle Carmody wrote this in high school? Pretty darn good for High School, but also shows the lack of experience.

      I also really like the world this story is set in. Somewhat spoilers about setting: It is post-nuclear-apocalyptic and dystopian, but also very old-school fantasy.

      Overall, I enjoyed a lot.
    • 2/5
      A fascinating premise and setting, but the writing style and flat characters reveals the author's youth when she wrote this. It could have done with several complete rewrites as her writing matured, but alas, we get dramatic, unoriginal writing; a too-angelic-to-be-true protagonist; and brashly drawn Baddie Bad Badd villains.
    • 3/5
      Good concepts and plot but some clunky narrative and inconsistent characters
    • 5/5
      Obernewtyn is a combination prison and work camp for Misfits in a world that has faced a environment destroying apocalypse and has been rebuilt into a controlling society. Those who don't fit such as Elspeth who can read and control minds and who's parents were executed for being dissenters are distrustful of everyone and trying to find safe spaces. Elspeth is sent to Obernewtyn when she's identified as a Misfit with possible mind powers but once there tries to hide her abilities as she explores the secrets of Obernewtyn.
    • 4/5
      I picked up a copy of " The Stone Key" (which is book Nr. 5 in the series) in a charity shop, because the cover and the blurp appealed to me. So I bought the first in the series and was not dissapointed. It was a great read and I finished it in one sitting as it is only a short book. The story is set in a post- apocalyptic world where the descendants of the initial survivors create a very dogmatic society led by a council and herders. Anyone who appears to be a threat to this society will be eliminated that in turn creates a lot of orphans who are used for labour. The dwindling population of this world also fear the human mutations, people with advanced mental powers who they call misfits. Once identified as a misfit these people await elimination, work farms or the feared Obernewtyn. Elspeth is one of the orphans being send to Obernewtyn. There she learns a lot of herself and her powers, makes friends and has to master a lot of challenges. The book is very descriptive and the characters are very well developed. It was a great read and I am looking very much forward to read the next books in this series
    • 4/5
      It's rare that I pick up a first novel and find myself completely enthralled in the story. What makes this book all the more fascinating is the fact the author Isobelle Carmody was still in high school when she first wrote the novel. Obernewtyn does not feel like a first book, or even as though it was written by a teenager. The strength of the characters is so well defined. Elspeth, the heroine of the story is a bundle of contrasts used to living her life in fear and at times despising herself for her lack of courage. The world of Obernewtyn itself is even more richly imagined that Elspeth. Such an air of mystery and hopelessnes surrounds the world. Set in a post-apocalyptic society where a global nuclear holocaust left only the rural and fringe members of society alive and religious fanatics known as Herders have risen to influence and power amongst the remnants of the world. The fallout of the nuclear holocaust has led to mutations which are "destroyed" at birth, and misfits who tend to have psychic-like powers who are quarantined from the rest of society, and burnt if considered dangerous to society at large. The children of misfits and seditioners are raised at large Orphanages where they are kept from making associations with one another and moved around regularly and rarely granted Certificates of Normalcy once they turn eighteen. Carmody's heroine Elspeth is a young girl whose parents were burnt by the Council and she has hidden her powers from the rest of the world for fear the same would happen to her.The way in which Carmody has told the fragments of the holocaust story are fascinating in their disjointedness. It is difficult to determine what exactly happened and often words are bastardized or completely indistinguishable as a result of accents that mystery surrounds the actual events. Added to this is the "official lore" and the banning of all "Oldtime" books which has left the society remarkably ignorant and backwards in technological understandings.
    • 4/5
      I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It is a futuristic fantasy that bordered on science fiction.This very young adult book, aimed at girls in their early teens, deals with the young girl learning about herself, alone, in a hostile post-apocalyptic world.The main character is different and she knows it. She has dangerous powers which have developed as part of her body’s survival response to its environment. These powers are considered dangerous therefore she is in mortal danger if they are discovered. I love that her best friend is a cat, one that she can communicate with, as, especially in my youth, the unconditional love of your domesticated in companions is often the only type of love you feel comfortable trusting.I think most disturbing thing about this book is that it is obviously set on a parallel version of this earth, hundreds of years after a nuclear war. The sanctuary she finds herself in is not what it seems and it looks like those in power may be moving to make the same mistakes again. Isobelle Carmody’s portrayal of a young girl living a fear most of us have at some time in their lives is grounding. I love how she deals with a world none of us want to see through the eyes of a young woman finding her place in a world turned upside down. 4/5 stars.
    • 2/5
      Way back in August, The Book Smugglers held their fantastic YA Appreciation month in which I furiously scribbled down book after book that I wanted to get to know better. Then they began spotlighting dystopian and post-apocalypse books over and over again and I began to feel a little faint. Literally. If you don't already know of my severe weakness for anything dystopian - I'll say it now loud and clear. I'm an unashamed addict and after reading Ana and Thea's glowing recommendations for the Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody, I was sold. Bought and paid for. I then and there began plotting on how to get a hold of the series before my curiosity did me in. And let's just say, my efforts paid off in full.Following the devastating nuclear fallout known as the Great White, wherein humans basically tried to destroy each other, only small pockets of civilizations remained on the barren and poisoned earth. Each civilization had to find a way of controlling their panicked citizens which eventually lead to the establishment of the Council of farmers, a group who by their strict governing have most people too scared to even think about stepping out of line. Since you have all that nuclear radiation floating around, human mutations have started to pop up everywhere and are not exactly popular with the Council. Any person suspected of having a mutation (real or imagined) is either put to death, or if caught in their youth, sent to a civilization shrouded in secrecy called Obernewtyn - established specifically for misfits. Elspeth Gordie just happens to be more scared of the Council than most - her mutation is one she's never even heard of and the thought of being discovered is enough to make her steer clear of potential friendships or informers. Not only does Elspeth have the 'common' problem of her dreams turning into actuality, but she can talk with animals; animals who mistrust humans in general but who also possess memories of the time before the Great White. She's also got some other serious undisclosed 'talents' that would definitely label her as Public Enemy No.1, so I see nothing wrong with being a little closed off. Unfortunately, Elspeth does find herself competely out of sorts after a not-so-chance encounter with Obernewtyn's misfit-finder resulting in her too-quick removal to that infamous settlement.Now, Ms. Carmody could have stopped Elspeth's story right there and it would have been just dandy. But oh nos - shes keeps going: firmly placing the restrained and self-contained Elspeth into a world where every person is shrouded in secrecy and around each corner is another creepy misfit that had the hairs on the back of my neck permanently standing on end. Maybe just a little out of her comfort zone, but Elspeth rises to the challenge and many cloak-and-dagger moments ensue. Add in a potential love interest and I was hooked for good. There is so much going on in the background as well - Elspeth's mental link with the moody cat Maurman (when are cats not fickle and moody?), the distrust of all technology and books - not even to mention the ever-increasing underground movement to overthrow the Council's control. All combined, it makes for some pretty compelling reading and I seriously cannot wait to return to Elspeth's world in book two, Farseekers.
    • 3/5
      This was an interesting book. It wasn't quite as gripping as I had hoped. It started very slowly and then just before the end of the book it hit it's climax. I felt that the climax was too short and left me feeling that i was only given an overview of what went on. It did not read as a complete story and to feel satisfied you would need to read the next book. There were many loose parts.....things that could have been expanded into sub-stories, but were just left. It had some good concepts, but wasn't something that would drag me to read the next book.
    • 4/5
      This reminded me of the Chrysalids, but without the heavy references to religion. The setting is Earth after a nuclear disaster, referred to as the White Death. Anyone born with mysterious mental abilities is known as a Misfit, and if they are discovered, they are sent to a compound in the mountains, known as Obernewtyn. There she discovers that there are other people like her and at the same time she discovers that someone or something is trying to detect her powers and trap her. Book one ends with Elspeth and her friends having defeated those who oppose them, and with ownership of Obernewtyn falling under the jurisdiction of Rushton. The Council is still a huge threat. Elspeth might not remain at Obernewtyn because she is the Seeker, and feels that she has to find and destroly the weapon machines responsible for the White Death in the first place.
    • 4/5
      There was the time before, there was technology and now there's very little, in fact it's in the hands of some of the fanatical religious Council. There are people who are misfits in this world, people with psionic talents are punished and often killed. She is brought to Obernewtyn, where some evil people intend to use misfits for nefarious reasons. Elspeth is a misfit and is trying hard to survive and now in Obernewtyn she finds herself with a destiny and a hope for her future.
    • 5/5
      I loved this series. I was all excited with The Stone Key arriving, but now I have to wait for the last one to come out.
    • 5/5
      I first read this when I was about 11, got me hooked on the series and the author from there. One of the greatest books I read during my younger days, and one of the few series I've frequently re-read since then, and this one is one of my favourites.
    • 5/5
      I simply love the Obernewtyn Chronicles and this, the first one, is simply gorgeous. Try it yourself - you too may find yourself hooked =)