The Seventh by S.D. Wasley

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SKU 978-1-77233-187-5
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Sixteen year old Mimi Alston has company. No less than three ghosts follow her around, and only she can see them. At her last school, she was known as the girl with imaginary friends. Now Mimi’s starting fresh in a new town, where she’s determined to make some real friends and fit in for once. She’s ready for a normal life...except Mimi never counted on her fascination with troubled goth-boy, Drew. 

When she’s invited to join the elite Gifted Program, Mimi discovers she’s not the only one at the school with an unusual talent. Maybe being normal isn’t even an option anymore.

14+ due to mild violence and adult situations

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Excerpt:

My final class was English. Drew was there. He looked terrible, like something had broken him. I couldn’t help but stare and he looked back into my face with those green eyes. I thought about my face smiling and sparkling in the mirror and realised I was actually conscious of how I looked when it came to Drew. That wasn’t like me. Did he have some kind of compulsion towards me, like Gabe had said? Maybe I just had a compulsion towards him.

There was only one seat left, possibly because I had been examining myself in the mirror for too long at break. It was next to Drew. I took the seat with a mixture of delight and dread. He stared at his notebook when he saw me coming his way. Our lesson was on characterisation, and the teacher was explaining archetypes, protagonists and antagonists. I found it hard to concentrate but then suddenly it was time for partner discussions. We were supposed to decide which roles the different types of characters fulfilled in our assigned novel.

I looked at Drew. He was staring down at his file and drawing another of his black ink vortexes on a blank sheet of paper.

“So, err, are we going talk about protagonists?” I asked.

“Are you serious?” he replied without looking up.

I was relieved. “Cool. I didn’t really want to either. But it would look weird to Mr Cambridge if we didn’t talk at all.”

Drew scribbled more furiously. I waited. Eventually the pen stopped and he looked into my face. My heart just about stopped. My mouth went dry.

“What is with you?” he hissed angrily.

I shrank away. So much for a compulsion, Gabe, I thought bitterly, turning my face away as tears threatened to flood my eyes. More like revulsion. I flicked through my textbook blindly, hoping the teacher would figure I was trying to work out his characterisation problem.

But after a few more moments Drew spoke again, his voice devoid of anger and bitterness.

“Sorry, Mimi,” he said. “Just … sorry.”

Ugh, the tear spilled onto my cheek. Lame. I pretended to brush my hair back and swiped past my cheek, removing all evidence.

“What’s your problem?” I said coolly, still flicking through my book.

“You shouldn’t let yourself get sucked in by them,” he said, his voice low and so desperate that I turned back to look into his eyes again, forgetting the fear of showing my tears. “It’s bullshit … all bullshit. None of this gift crap is real. She’s encouraging our delusions.”

Now I got angry. “Screw you,” I said, my voice shaking with the effort to stay quiet. “Do you know how long I’ve believed I am insane? I just found out I’m not and you know what? I’m glad. It’s not fun to think you’re nuts. You can wallow in it all you like, but I just got released from the psycho ward and I can’t wait to get my life back.”

Drew dropped all pretence of being tough, or cool or whatever. He stared at me with his mouth open. I glared for a few moments and then looked away. It was hard to keep gazing angrily at his face without being distracted by the extraordinary beauty there. Even the thick white makeup and black painted lips couldn’t hide it.

“You don’t know anything about it,” he said in my ear after a pause. “You just wait.”

It sounded like a threat. I raised my hand and excused myself. I went straight to my dorm room after making a brief appearance in the nurse’s office to claim a migraine. She took my temperature and peered at me for a moment, but seemed to believe me and told me to go lie down.

I lay on my bed, my mind buzzing. I tried not to think about Drew because I felt bad whenever my mind went there. I had been completely honest with him––I wasn’t crazy, and I was celebrating. I could hardly wait until the next time I could sit in that roomful of gifted kids and find out more. I was okay. I had a gift. These three ghosts who silently joined me as I lay on my bed, one on my swivel chair and two sitting on my floor, were ghosts … not figments of a psychotic imagination. For me, no matter what Drew thought, that could only be good news.

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Product Reviews

Score: 5 out of 5 (based on 11 ratings)
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5/5
Best read in awhile ... Relishing the magic ...
Written by Sarah T-Smith on 28th Mar 2015

I sat down to read the first chapter promising myself I'd continue at bedtime as per my habit ... 5 chapters later, I had forgotten my lunch and truly engrossed to the point I clean forgot my son's school assembly (oops!). I was hesitant to start reading again later in the day but was really drawn to the meeting of souls between Mimi and Drew so I gave in. Failing to help my son with his homework, I was drawn into the world of the gifted seven ... The plot thickens, the pace punchy and the added romance just reeled me in, hook, line and sinker to the point where I had to get my husband to get takeaway for dinner! It was an immensely enjoyable experience. There was intrigue from the very beginning, and the individual characters development suggest at a longstanding series where the adventures of the gifted seven could just stretch on and on ....I cannot wait for the sequel!

5/5
Gifted Teens
Written by Mary Rose Styles on 15th Mar 2015

I usually like to take notes whilst reviewing a book but I got so into reading The Seventh I completely forgot to write anything down until I was a quarter of the way through. To go through life and being ridiculed by your peers only to find out at 16yo that you are actually ‘gifted’ and not the only one with this type of talent was very cleansing. The minute Drew and Mimi locked eyes they were both startled at the recognition they felt yet they had never met. As I progressed through the book I became more immersed in the story and the ‘Seven Gifted’ group. My mind ran rampant with all their talents and the good or bad that they could do. So much of the feelings that were expressed in The Seventh are what we have all been through whether you are a male or female. Everyone’s talent starts to improve and as you read you start to see how they can all help each other. As you get towards the end of the book the pace picks up and your there with Mimi, Drew and the others trying to help in any way you could. The way S.D. Wasley wrote the ending was open to interpretation and a great way for a reader to eagerly await the sale of the next sequel to The Seventh. I myself cannot wait for Book 2.

4/5
Night Owl Teen Reviews
Written by confusedagony on 13th Mar 2015

I felt bad for Mimi because I know what it’s like to be an outcast and have people judge you, even when they don’t truly know you. In Mimi’s case her situation is ghosts, as in she sees them. Since she was thirteen she has collected ghosts and she currently has three with her. She’s been transferred to a new school and realizes that she’s not a freak, she’s just special. Not only that but she’s the seventh person and completes the circle, hence the title of the book. I was so proud of her and it was so great to see her bloom, her little attraction to Drew was just adorable and it was made better because they were each other’s first. Not only that but she gets some cool friends too. I think it’s interesting and maybe a little scary to do the things they do, who wouldn’t want to control animals, see the future, conjure things out of thin air, feel people’s emotions, be the protector, and heal someone? Every person in the group has a purpose and as a whole, when they work together they can do some amazing things. I’m hoping that this will be an ongoing series, it was an easy read and I finished it in a couple hours. It had mystery, terror and romance all thrown in and made a nice read.

5/5
Waiting for the next installment
Written by Cath G on 9th Mar 2015

Mimi sees ghosts; like in that old movie. Then Mimi is transferred to a gifted program at a new school, and realises she is not the only one who is different. Her life will never be the same again. Mimi will never be the same again. While aimed at a mid-teen audience, I could not put this book down. The characters were drawn beautifully, and there were enough twists and turns to keep me intrigued from beginning to end. While we don't all see ghosts, I don't think anyone has been a teenager and not wanted to changed somehow to fit in. This theme runs through the book, but doesn't distract from the story line. Adventure, romance, paranormal; this story has it all. I look forward to finding out more of the secrets of the gifted, more about Mimi's ghosts, and most importantly more about Mimi herself.

4/5
The beginning of a great series!,
Written by Lindsey Gray on 18th Feb 2015

After years of believing she is having full blown hallucinations, Mimi is accepted into the gifted program at Etherall Valley Prep. She meets six other students with unusual abilities and realizes she is actually a Necromancer, someone who can summon and communicate with the dead. Once she has settled into her new life, she feels re-born, in a sense. She is able to be a "normal" teenager with the other gifted students. One student, Drew, seems connected to her in a way she never thought possible. The Seventh tells a story of coming of age with more than a few difficulties. Imagine the relief of living your life out from underneath a cloud of the mental illness you almost convinced yourself you had. Mimi feels as if she can breathe for the first time, she can live and love as the person she was always intended to be. Knowing this is a book intended for teenage readers, I enjoyed a little of the teenage drama that befalls Mimi as her feelings for Drew begin to develop. Drew has his own problems coming to terms with the new feelings he has regarding Mimi. The story evolves in several stages once a little of the angst is out of the way. I really felt great compassion for all the gifted as the details of their individual troubled past were revealed. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I will say I was very pleased with the way the story climax was written. I did shed a few tears, but Wasley gave me a version of an ending I was hoping for. This could easily be the beginning of a great series. I would recommend it to fans of Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers series or Gena Showalter's Intertwined series. Thank you to S.D. Wasley, Evernight Teen, and Bridging the Gap Promotions for gifting me with a copy of The Seventh in exchange for an honest review.

5/5
Well-written and original debut
Written by Celindara on 16th Feb 2015

This is SD Wasley's debut and won't be the last of hers I read. This beautifully written book follows the story of Mimi who moves to a new school where she becomes part of a "gifted" program and meets other children who also struggle with unusual "gifts". It is in this new environment that Mimi starts to accept herself and find a place she belongs after years of accepting the label from other people that she's 'not right'. The story has a fantastic mix of romance and intrigue that kept me guessing right to the end. I often find it hard to keep focused on books but there was enough suspense to pull me in and keep the pages turning. I never once felt confused by the plot or direction of the book. Aside from writing Mimi's journey so well, the author has created a full cast of developed and believable characters. We see individuality and character growth for each of the 'gifted' teens which pulls the reader deeper into their world-- and demonstrates the skill of the author. After reading the very intriguing epilogue, I look forward to seeing where the author takes this series next

5/5
Great read. highly recommended
Written by Amazon Customer on 27th Jan 2015

Very well written, great characters that you can relate to and a great story too. Very much recommended, this book will have you turning the pages again and again, you won't be able to putit down. I can't wait to read more of Mimi and her group and more from the talented S.D. wasley

5/5
Seven Degrees of Awesome
Written by Marcus Damanda "author of The Forever Show" on 26th Jan 2015

She goes by Mimi—never Miette, which means “crumb” in French. At age 16, she’s moving to a new home in Etherall Valley and rebooting her life at a fancy prep school for unusual kids. She’s got a knack for art, two parents who don’t know what to make of her, and three ghosts for company. Ah, teenagers. In spite of her attempts at social invisibility, within a week Mimi is elevated above the other unusual students and invited into their exclusive “gifted” program, which—until she joins them—consists of only six kids. There, she learns that she is not insane, her ghosts are real, and her presence in the program completes a circle. The “gifts” of these seven kids are all different: everything from empathy to animal control to conjuration. And Mimi? She’s a necromancer. She “calls the dead.” And here I thought I was weird, back in high school, being in chess club. THE SEVENTH, by S.d. Wasley, isn’t so much a coming-of-age story as it is an emerging-from-the-shell story. Mimi is, at first, quiet and withdrawn, filled with self-doubt and a lifetime’s worth of insecurities—brought on by years of labeling by her peers and her parents’ misguided attempts to somehow cure her of her oddities. As the tale progresses and Mimi comes to understand that she is not, in fact, broken in any way, our hero emerges as everything she never thought she could be: brave, outgoing, even popular. And, as unthinkable as it may at one time have been, beautiful. There’s a lot of teenage dating drama in the first half of this book. Seriously, I haven’t seen so much angst since J.K. Rowling introduced her American readers to the word “snogging” in Order of the Phoenix. And that’s okay, even if that’s not your genre. What Wasley has going for her here is that most of the players in this drama are just so insufferably likeable, the reader doesn’t know who to root for in the dating game and who to pity. When the reader’s that invested in the characters, even the most jaded of us can comfortably genre-hop our norms and find ourselves engaged in the action. Some of these characters appear on the surface as familiar archetypes: the surfer, the match-maker, the death metal Goth kid, the shrinking violet—each of them further characterized by whatever gift, our power, they are gradually learning to master. Wasley, however, manages to deconstruct our first impressions and peel the outer layers away, revealing complex and unexpected individuals who struggle to discover not only what they are, but also why they are. If there’s anything missing here, it’s an iconic (or, at least, present) antagonist. Or so it seems in the early running. But Wasley has that covered, in the end, too—and the way she plots her story makes it clear that she was aware of this threat from the outset. You have to get to the end of the book to know where S.d. Wasley was going from the beginning. By the time Mimi has to confront this emerging menace head-on, the reader has realized that Wasley had all of this carefully planned before she invited us along. Now that her tale is ready, we are guided by a steady, sure hand. But it really is Mimi who keeps us reading. There’s something in her we all wish for and few of us have. When Mimi realizes her own self worth, she refuses to let go of it. When she’s given a purpose, she embraces it. When faced with the prospect of danger she cannot avoid, she’s unwilling to surrender to the fear of it. Mimi’s journey and transformation, so far removed from the bleak young soul we met at the beginning of the book, is where the true magic of this story lies.

5/5
Seven Degrees of Awesome
Written by Marcus Damanda on 26th Jan 2015

She goes by Mimi—never Miette, which means “crumb” in French. At age 16, she’s moving to a new home in Etherall Valley and rebooting her life at a fancy prep school for unusual kids. She’s got a knack for art, two parents who don’t know what to make of her, and three ghosts for company. Ah, teenagers. In spite of her attempts at social invisibility, within a week Mimi is elevated above the other unusual students and invited into their exclusive “gifted” program, which—until she joins them—consists of only six kids. There, she learns that she is not insane, her ghosts are real, and her presence in the program completes a circle. The “gifts” of these seven kids are all different: everything from empathy to animal control to conjuration. And Mimi? She’s a necromancer. She “calls the dead.” And here I thought I was weird, back in high school, being in chess club. THE SEVENTH, by S.d. Wasley, isn’t so much a coming-of-age story as it is an emerging-from-the-shell story. Mimi is, at first, quiet and withdrawn, filled with self-doubt and a lifetime’s worth of insecurities—brought on by years of labeling by her peers and her parents’ misguided attempts to somehow cure her of her oddities. As the tale progresses and Mimi comes to understand that she is not, in fact, broken in any way, our hero emerges as everything she never thought she could be: brave, outgoing, even popular. And, as unthinkable as it may at one time have been, beautiful. There’s a lot of teenage dating drama in the first half of this book. Seriously, I haven’t seen so much angst since J.K. Rowling introduced her American readers to the word “snogging” in Order of the Phoenix. And that’s okay, even if that’s not your genre. What Wasley has going for her here is that most of the players in this drama are just so insufferably likeable, the reader doesn’t know who to root for in the dating game and who to pity. When the reader’s that invested in the characters, even the most jaded of us can comfortably genre-hop our norms and find ourselves engaged in the action. Some of these characters appear on the surface as familiar archetypes: the surfer, the match-maker, the death metal Goth kid, the shrinking violet—each of them further characterized by whatever gift, our power, they are gradually learning to master. Wasley, however, manages to deconstruct our first impressions and peel the outer layers away, revealing complex and unexpected individuals who struggle to discover not only what they are, but also why they are. If there’s anything missing here, it’s an iconic (or, at least, present) antagonist. Or so it seems in the early running. But Wasley has that covered, in the end, too—and the way she plots her story makes it clear that she was aware of this threat from the outset. You have to get to the end of the book to know where S.d. Wasley was going from the beginning. By the time Mimi has to confront this emerging menace head-on, the reader has realized that Wasley had all of this carefully planned before she invited us along. Now that her tale is ready, we are guided by a steady, sure hand. But it really is Mimi who keeps us reading. There’s something in her we all wish for and few of us have. When Mimi realizes her own self worth, she refuses to let go of it. When she’s given a purpose, she embraces it. When faced with the prospect of danger she cannot avoid, she’s unwilling to surrender to the fear of it. Mimi’s journey and transformation, so far removed from the bleak young soul we met at the beginning of the book, is where the true magic of this story lies.

5/5
great read.
Written by Finn on 24th Jan 2015

Loved this book. Well written , great characters and a really great storyline. hooked from the start and couldn't put it down. cannot wait to read more about Mimi and her friends and more by S.D. Wasley

5/5
Loved the book
Written by Kym on 24th Jan 2015

Loved the book, finished it in less than 24hrs, couldn't put it down. Each chapter had me wanting to read more and more. Easy read, easy to follow, had a great story line that kept me interested the whole way to the end. Highly recommend the book to anyone looking for something new to read. Looking forward to a another book by SD Wasley. Loved her style of writing.