Seed

Seed

Lisa Heathfield,

Seed

Egmont Books, 2015

ISBN 9781405275385

14-16 Shortlist 2016

 

On this shortlist:

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out of 5
 

 

 

Who Wrote It?

Lisa Heathfield lives in Brighton with her husband and three sons. Before becoming a mum, she was a secondary school English teacher, specialising in working with hearing impaired children. She loved loved inspiring teenagers to read and now she is writing stories that they will be unable to put down.

After teaching, she ran a café in Brighton for seven years. In the middle of the general chaos of her lovely children, baking for the café and stumbling through running her own business, she wrote her first novel, Seed.

What's It About?

Seed is a chilling coming-of-age story of life within a cult. Fifteen-year-old Pearl has lived her whole life 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 realize that there is darkness at the heart of Seed. A darkness from which she must escape, before it’s too late.

Fact File

Although Seed is Lisa’s first novel, she has been writing since the age of nine.  She says “Well, I’ve always loved reading and writing. When other friends were getting Barbie dolls or Legos for Christmas, I was swooning over my new typewriter!”

Initially, she wrote Seed as a standalone novel but she is now working on the sequel.

Lisa and her husband used to run a café, but she is now happily writing full time. “It’s lovely, I drop the kids off at school and then I just write.” 

Find out more here:

http://electricmonkeybooks.tumblr.com/post/114575126184/seed-by-lisa-heathfield

or you can follow Lisa on Twitter: @lisaheathfield

Your Reviews

Erika from King James's :

Seed is a frustrating book.I liked the way it was written so that you could tell what's happening around pearl but it is so frustrating that pearl has no idea and thinks it normal and healthy. I liked the character of Kate since she clearly had more personality than pearl who for most of the book couldn't see what was happening to her best friend and didn't realise that everything she knew was a lie until Ellis and Kate showed her. No wonder that papa s and the kinreds were able to so completely brainwash her. For most of the book all she cares about is finding out who her mother is when the reader can tell exactly who it is. When the book starts pearl believes she is dying because she just got her first period I think that even if you live in a cult you should a least be given some kind of knowledge about what will happen to you in your teenage years. So in short this book is a great idea, well written book that has one of the most naive characters I've ever read about.

Erika gave Seed 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine.

Alice from King James's School:

Seed is a brilliant and very unique book which I thoroughly enjoyed. It can be exciting and action-packed at times as well as very emotional at others.

I found it interesting to read about the simple life lived by the characters in Seed and I liked The twists when we discover that not everything is as it seems.

Overall, I found it a very unique and thought-provoking read.

Alice gave Seed 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Asking for It by Louise O'Neill.

Joel from King James's School :

I have never read a book about life in a cult before, a least not one like this anyway. However, I did really enjoy it because it was so realistic.

From the blurb I thought that actually this situation might be alright. They are not the first to strip back time and live a simpler life, but as the book progressed it soon became clear that all was not as it seemed. This is what I liked most about it, the fact that it took the reader on the same journey as Pearl took, which made the character and her frame of mind so realistic and easy to empathise with.

The plot in itself was very clever. By introducing the outsider it made Pearl start to question the life she was living. The time in her life was also chosen well, meaning it was relatable to the audience, and also adding extra depth to plot.

However, I felt that the proportions of the book were all wrong. The middle dragged on for a long time and the end was rushed and hard to follow. I was willing something different to happen, and then when it did it happened so fast that I had to read the part again to take it in.

Overall, a well thought out plot and characters, but unfortunately the way it was written left me underwhelmed. I will give it 3 out of 5.

Joel gave Seed 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Willliamson.

Scott from King James's School:

This was far more my usual type of read than anything else I've read on this short list. I really enjoyed it. "Papa S" was just my sort of book character.

A story with a dark edge but with a realistic ring to it. This is exactly the sort of thing I can imagine happening. "Steve" is a psycho. I love psychos! They are my absolute favourite personality type to read about.

Although I felt that it could have been written slightly more effectively, it was a brilliant idea. This man's control over the people at seed is a phenomenon. I find it thrilling and psychologically fascinating. From an extremely young age, the fact that he can brainwash them to such an extent is fascinating.

Emotional, heart warming, chilling, fascinating. Also a love story of the best kind.

Scott gave Seed 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Willliamson.

Imogen from Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College:

Seed is a very interesting book which kept me hanging on at the end of every chapter. I liked how the book had a dual narrative of the main character and a woman who was trapped in a room. This kept the book intriguing, and I wanted to know more about the woman in the room throughout the book. Also, the character of Papa S was incredibly chilling, as all of his followers undoubtedly believed every word he said.

Therefore, I would definitely recommend this book to my friends my age.

Imogen gave Seed 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine.

Hannah from Benton Park School :

This book is one of the best I have read this year. I loved this book and the way it was written; the story line was intense and at points almost too much like you just wanted more. The novel left me devastated and wishing for the next book which comes out soon and I will be first in line to read. My favourite character in this book was Elizabeth, I feel like she motivated Pearl and the others which made the book interesting but equally characters like Pearl and Papa S were just as interesting. Papa S made the novel, despite being a terrible person he was fascinating and allowed me to build up an image of Seed even more. The ending of this book was heart wrenching and I cannot wait for the next book, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading.

Hannah gave Seed 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Willliamson.

Emily from Abbey Grange:

Seed is about a 15 year old girl named Pearl. The story talks about her and a few other children, adults and Papa S who is the leader of the pack, they are brought up in a house which is kept away from the "outside". They are taught differently to many other children. Things start to turn around when Pearl realises the real truth behind Papa S. This book makes me want to read another book from the same author if this book was to be carried out in a series. This book is very good and you find yourself wanting to read more and more!. I would definitley recommend Seed to anybody who is looking for a book.

Emily gave Seed 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke.

Heather from King James's:

I loved the tension and mystery throughout the book and I like the plot because it was deep and complex. I also loved the characters and their reactions to each other. I liked the romance between Pearl and Ellis because it was different from the other books I read and it felt more realistic. However, I was a bit disappointed with the ending; it felt like an anti-climax because nothing really happened and there wasn’t much emotion in it. When I finished the book I thought “Is that it?” because it didn’t feel like an ending and it didn’t wrap up the loose ends in the book. In addition, I thought the beginning was weird and it took me a while to understand their society but it would be amazing if everyone could be happy all the time.

Heather gave Seed 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Willliamson.

Miss Brannan from The Morley Academy:

Definitely a unique storyline and I liked how the relationship of some of the characters developed, however, I felt a little uncomfortable with some of the content - this isn't something I would personally choose to read about and I am not sure whether I would recommend it to the lower end of the 14-16 age group due to the content.

Miss Brannan gave Seed 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine.

Megan from Abbey Grange:

Seed is a thrilling book about 15 year old Pearl, who lives in a Nature worshipping cult ruled by Papa S. It tells the story of the disruption of the peace when new boy Ellis comes in with tales of the outside world and flips Pearl's world around as together they try to unravel the darkness that shrouds the heart of Seed. I would recommend it to any avid reader as it is humorous, exiting and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Megan gave Seed 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine.

Estera from Benton Park:

An electrifying masterpiece filled with drama, darkness and romance. New information is gradually introduced as the heart of seed is revealed slowly to Pearl and to the reader. I really like the character of Pearl as she tries to be loyal at first, but once she knows the facts, she refuses to turn back. I like the fact that there were no unnecessary characters – everybody had a purpose in the story. The events of the book dramatically crescendo to a thrilling twist at the end which keeps you on edge the whole way through. I love the way that Lisa Heathfield really made the characters alive throughout the piece of work. It really added to the overall effect of the story, as did the dual narrative spin that was used. The book was pure genius! Congratulations on such an amazing novel, and thank you for giving me such a thrilling read.

Estera gave Seed 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Willliamson.

Amir from Cardinal Heenan:

This book is about a girl called Pearl and her life in a 'cult'. It is about the way she lives her life and how the way she has been taught about the outside world affects her life. Pearl's life is fairly stable until their leader Papa S, their leader, invites two new people and one of them, a boy, change Pearl's views and challenges her ideas.

I liked that the author wrote about a controversial topic, as far as I know there are not a lot of books about life in a cult. I also like how Pearl is very reluctant to change and it gives a very real impression of how a person in a cult may react to the truth after what they have been told. I would recommend this book as it would open peoples eyes to the 'truth' of a very controversial and secretive topic.

Amir gave Seed 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine.

Lucia from Cardinal Heenan:

This is a book about a girl, Pearl, who has lived her entire life at 'SEED' where they worship nature and believe it is always watching them. Their leader is Papa S, who is their leader that keeps them in contact with nature. She has never met outsiders, other than when they travel to the market to sell their goods. Then, when outsider Ellis arrives, Pearl begins to have feelings that she has never felt before, and nature punishes her for it....

I like the fact that they have no knowledge of outsiders, and when Ellis (the outsider) arrives with his family, Pearl doesn't know what she's feeling, or why she's feeling it, and it confuses her. She's also trying to work out what happens when you are taken to be Papa S' companion.

I also like the mini chapters written as another person, watching the people at seed.

I don't like the 'becoming a woman' part, as I don't see how it benefits the story.....

It's classed as a 'Tense Romantic Thriller' so if this appeals, then it's a book for you. It kept me gripped and I can't wait for the sequel!

Lucia gave Seed 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine.

Happiness from Cardinal Heenan:

It is about a girl who lives in a cult believing and living her life the way that she is taught by their leader -Papa S- according to nature's will.

I liked the main character who was a really interesting person to hear about and I found it quite interesting to see how they lived and their way of life, which is quite different.

Sometimes I felt like the writer lost track and failed to explain the characters properly and that put me off quite a bit.

I would recommend the book, however it would not be the first thing to come to mind because it lacked experience of the author.

Happiness gave Seed 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Asking for It by Louise O'Neill.

Maia from Abbey Grange :

This book was so chillingly original and daring. From the moment I picked it up, I simply couldn't put it down. However the ending felt rushed and definitely needed more detail. I loved the scenes when Ellis tells Pearl the truths about the world, it just shows how easily people will believe what they're told. I would recommend to a friend but I probably wouldn't read it again.

Maia gave Seed 3 out of 5 and now plans to read One by Sarah Crossan.

Millie from Benton Park:

I thought this book was an interesting story and I was curious to what Papa S will make the people at Seed do next, I thought that It was a different but entertaining topic to explore. This book brought people to their senses by showing them the extreme views which some people hold. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that each event seemed to be a bit rushed and there was not as much detail as I would of liked in each event, I thought they could have been explored further. But overall I thought it was a good book with an interesting viewpoint and great storyline.

Millie gave Seed 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine.

Mosopefoluwa from Corpus Christi Catholic Collage:

I loved this book because it tells you about the life of a girl who has been locked up her whole life and now she meets a boy who knows all about the world outside. This book gripped me into wanting more. I cant wait for the next book.

Mosopefoluwa gave Seed 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Willliamson.

Ben from Boston Spa School:

Do you know the difference between love and fear? Is anything what it seems? Seed is a gripping and unusual book, as it describes the relationship between a tyrant - Papa S - and his subjects, however I felt that it was, at points, unrealistic. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy real life books.

Ben gave Seed 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine.

Erin from King James School:

I absolutely loved this book it's uniqueness, it's plot, the whole thing! Pearl seems like a very strong character for her age group which compels you to find out about her life and how it slowly changes through out the book due to a new comer. I loved the intense rush against time near the end almost as much as I loved the twist at the end. Overall, in my opinion it is definitely one of the best books I have read.

Erin gave Seed 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine.

Becca from Abbey Grange Academy:

This book is about a 15 year old girl called Pearl who lives in a cult that worships nature and is ruled by a the leader; Papa S. I loved the theme of this book and the plot line - as it is so unique and uplifting. Also the book is full of mysterious secrets that the main character unravels throughout the novel. I am looking forward to reading the sequel which will come out later this year!

Becca gave Seed 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine.

sarah from crawshaw:

Interesting book full of mystery and hidden secrets which keep it engaging

sarah gave Seed 4 out of 5 and now plans to read One by Sarah Crossan.

charlotte from crawshaw Academy:

I thought it was one of the best books I have read due to the uniqueness and originality

charlotte gave Seed 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Willliamson.

Phoebe from Abbey Grange:

Great, compelling novel, cannot wait for the sequel to come out. I absolutely loved it however, I felt like the ending happened too fast and all at once

Phoebe gave Seed 4 out of 5 and now plans to read One by Sarah Crossan.

jack from crawshaw academy:

oh my god!!! that's all I can say about this book. its compelling, thought provoking and so well written. I love the plot of this book. its about a cult that worships nature. pearl is a 15 year old girl who is starting to think for herself about the life of the cult. Though what she finds out may change the course of her life forever.

I loved this book and would love for Lisa Henfield to write a sequel as I cant get enough of this book

jack gave Seed 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Willliamson.