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    Seed
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    Seed
    Unavailable
    Seed
    Audiobook8 hours

    Seed

    Written by Lisa Heathfield

    Narrated by Avita Jay

    4/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    Fifteen-year-old Pearl has lived her whole life protected within the small community at Seed, where they worship Nature and idolise their leader, Papa S. But when some outsiders arrive, everything changes. Pearl experiences feelings that she never knew existed and begins to realise that there is darkness at the heart of Seed. A darkness from which she must escape, before it's too late.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Ltd
    Release dateJun 18, 2015
    ISBN9781471299742
    Unavailable
    Seed
    Author

    Lisa Heathfield

    Lisa Heathfield is an award-winning author and a former high school English teacher. She lives with her family in Brighton, England.

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    Reviews for Seed

    4/5

    28 ratings5 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Typical Jim Jones, coming of age in a cult, drinking kool-aid kind of story? Not a feel good book but well enough written.
    • 4/5
      Let it be known that I have a weakness for books like Seed. Any time a book is placed in front of me that revolves around a cult, and the life of its inhabitants, I have to read to it. Absolutely must. There's something about these stories that both terrifies and intrigues me. That one person can have that much power, that one single human being can manipulate others into worshiping them, it's something I am fascinated by. So it's no surprise that the moment this book was offered to me I snatched it up. I knew Seed would be something I'd want to experience.

      In my past experiences with books like this, the one thing that stands out is how well an author deals with all the tough aspects of the society in question. We all know that things go on in cult societies that aren't exactly easy to stomach. That, quite often, there are children at the center of these stories who are put in very uncomfortable situations. In that vein, I have to applaud Lisa Heathfield for expertly navigating this territory. While all of the items I was expecting were definitely present, they were handled with care. I was still able to see into Pearl's world, still privy to her questions and issues, but I never felt that it was over the top. I think that's important for a young adult book.

      Speaking of Pearl, it was the characters that really made this book shine for me. Although I couldn't agree with Pearl's outlook on her situation, I understood. Lisa Heathfield brought to life a girl whose whole life was Seed. A girl who knew only the boundaries of what to her was a safe and happy home. A naive girl maybe, but one who had no reason to be otherwise. I felt for Pearl, and for the rest of the characters. Each one of them was real to me. It made this a much tougher read, to be sure, but one that also felt much more fulfilling. I've never wanted to have the power to yell at characters more than I did while reading this book.

      Long story short? This was a very well written and, surprisingly (considering the content), easy story to sink into. Had I not needed to sleep in order to function at work the next day, I would have read this through in one sitting, no problem. I can't say that Seed is a happy story. Don't go into it expecting that. I can say that it's an important one though, and that I am glad that I experienced it.
    • 4/5
      Fifteen year old Pearl lives her life grateful to be saved from the Outside, instead blessed to be at one with Nature and living on Seed with its leader known as Papa S. Seed is the story of Pearl’s coming of age and loss of innocence. Heathfield opens her debut novel in the creepiest possible manner, effectively communicating to readers the tone of the novel and the cult group within it. From there, the tension and conflict continually escalates at a rapid pace. In some ways, the narrative of the cult group going off the rails ended in a bit of a predictable pulled from the headlines manner, but the crazy train leading there is riveting. Pearl is an effectively naïve character, but her peers present a range of skepticism or contentedness. The adult characters range from trapped and abused to all out criminal and psychopathic, and Seed leaves a wide range of questions unanswered about the cult’s formation and history. Abuse plays a large role in this story, present and creeping ever closer to Pearl and reflected in the other female characters. In some ways, the most chilling parts of Seed are when Pearl is content within the group, such as when she says that the thought of being Papa S.’ companion “spills sunshine onto my heart.” A horrifying read dealing with mature themes, Seed is recommended for readers ages fourteen and up.
    • 5/5
      Raised in a cult-type group, Pearl's life is turned upside down with the community admits a new family. Ellis, a young man about her age, questions everything she has been taught. This book was both heartbreaking and fascinating. I really felt for Pearl and the rest of the kids and teenagers in the book. This easily could have been based on a true story, which is a bit frightening. I would love to read a sequel and find out what happens next. Overall, highly recommended.
    • 1/5
      I was looking forward to reading this book. The few cult themed books that I have read I liked. This one was really "real" feeling. Too much to the point that I was kind of turned off by it. I put the book down at chapter sixteen and never picked it back up. This is because to me it felt like this book was not just about religion but also about sexuality. This aspect of the book was not like innocence lost and growing up but to me it was darker. Also, I was not invested in any of the characters so I really did not feel anything for them or their stories. This is the type of book that you need to experience what the characters are going through like me you won't like this book. Not recommended to be read for the younger audience.