Untraceable

An enjoyable thrill ride. A must read!

I have to admit, it is not very often I read a book that isn't fantasy or paranormal. Most stories than don't have some sort of supernatural entity do not interest me. This book definitely is the exception and I really enjoyed it. Grace is brave in ways I could only dream of being. She's a gutsy person and an extremely likable character. While out in the woods looking for clues she meets super cute Mo. It wasn't long before I was wanting to see a relationship between them unfold. The descriptions given to us makes Grace's world very easy to picture. It made me want to grab a fishing pole (to bad I don't actually fish) and run out into the wilderness and enjoy all it's glory. The story is fast paced and the way it all tied together in the end was a whirl wind ride I never saw coming. Shelli is a terrific writer. What makes me like the story so much is that it made me feel real emotions. I really cared about Grace and those surrounding her. Untraceable is a wilderness thriller in every sense and I recommend you read this book!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Unexpected and Awesome!

I was super happy when I had the chance to review an early copy of this book (which releases today, btw).

UNTRACEABLE by S. R. Johannes (Coleman and Stott, November 295, 2011)


You guys may know S. R. Johannes as the fabulous Shelli Johannes who runs the marketing blog MARKET MY WORDS. I was psyched when I found out Shelli was publishing her book and was one of the first to sign up to read it.

So what is UNTRACEABLE all about? Let's see. It's a story about family. It's a story about adventure. It's got some definite romantic elements (and a love triangle that has a nice, fresh feel to it). It's got layers of deception I never even kind of saw coming. And it's got adventure.

The main character, Grace, does a pretty good job getting herself in all kinds of trouble, but we're going to cut the girl some slack. Her dad has been missing for three months, and everyone, even her mom, presumes he is dead. But Grace never gives up, and this drives her actions forward for the bulk of the story.

UNTRACEABLE is not a fantasy. It deals with real life issues like troubled families, cruelty to animals, and friendships that may be more. What did I love about it? First, the setting above all else. Shelli does an amazing job painting the picture of the Smokey Mountains. I felt like I was running through the woods with her, climbing the hills she climbed and watching the stars at night. Second, the romance, especially with one of the guys, Mo. He was caring yet carried his own secrets. And finally, I loved that Shelli left us nice hope for the sequel. I, for one, am looking forward to this!

Highly recommended for those who enjoy YA adventure with depth and great character development!

Source of book: From author by request

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Courtesy of Letters Inside Out

I had been eyeing Untraceable for awhile. Look at the cover, it¿s lovely in a subtle sort of way. When the author emailed me about reviewing it, I immediately jumped on the chance and managed to fit it in right away.

Grace¿s father has been missing for other 3 months and she¿s convinced he¿s still alive, despite everyone around her saying he isn¿t. She knows that he knows the mountains so well that something is obviously wrong. To the point of obsession and at the risk of alienating everyone around her, she keeps looking for him.

Grace is such a strong-willed character, I hope to think that in the same situations I would be as determined to believe that my loved one was still alive out there somewhere. And then there is Mo ¿ hot with an English/Australian accent. YUM. There is a bit of mystery surrounding him and that adds to make it even more fun.

The entire premise had me fascinated, but horrified. As more and more is discovered though about just what is happening in the Smokies, I found myself gasping during the intense scenes. And there are some pretty intense scenes. Untraceable covers some issues that I am planning on looking into further as an animal lover and I¿m sure it¿ll stick with me for a long time to come.

I need the second book immediately. The ending has a bit of a cliffhanger that has me really curious to see where Johannes takes the series.

I received my copy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Action, Suspense, & a Bit of Romance

I’m not sure of the category of Untraceable by S.R. Johannes. Probably young adult since the protagonist, Grace, is a teenager. But you don’t have to be a teen to enjoy the book. I did and I’m a few years past nineteen.

Grace’s dad has been missing for so long, everyone assumes he’s dead – everyone except Grace. He disappeared into the vast forest filled with cliffs and bears and other dangers. But Grace feels inside that he’s alive. He was a Forest Ranger and he taught her everything she knows. And she knows a lot. She sets out to find him, looking for even the smallest clue, like a tossed Cheetos bag. Her mother hardly notices Grace because she’s so distraught and has to continue to work to provide for them. As the days pass and the authorities dismiss her, she ventures farther into the wilderness and deeper into her obsession.

Untraceable is fast paced with action, suspense, even a bit of romance. Another thing I liked is learning more about survival in the wilderness. Each chapter is headed with a Survival Skill, and as Grace searches for her dad, we go along with her and learn from her actions.

The ending will surprise you. It ties everything together while leaving a few things unanswered. This is the first book in the Grace series, after all.

I give Untraceable a rating of Hel-of-a-Story.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I love

I have only one thing to say.............. MOVIE...movie.......movie ........MOVIE please make a movie

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Like No Other Nature/Thriller Book I Have Read

I was really surprised at how good this book was- it exceeded my expectations! S. R. Johannes writes so well, and pulls the reader into the thick plot along with the subplots that surround Grace's life. It is different than anything I have ever read. It is so refreshing to read a book that I can easily relate to the main character Grace, and her love for nature. I would definetly have to say that I feel I have found a hidden gem of a book.
Untracable is clean-cut, with a thrilling plot, complex characters, and is definetly worth your time and money. I can't wait for the next book!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Entrancing Thriller

This book was a satisfying read and held so much more than I expected!
While Grace (Main Character) was your average strong female lead, her first-person perspective allowed the reader clear insight into how her mind worked. I could feel her determination to save her father and her pain over her crumbling world. Mo (Romantic Interest) was very ... well, romantic but he seemed to fall for Grace a little fast. And there was one instance at the end, due to a plot twist, that I didn't think was consistent with his character. However, throughout the rest of the book there was very good chemistry between him and Grace.
Characters: 4.3 Stars
The starting premise is simple, Grace wants to find her missing dad or reach closure about the situation. But as she uncovers more and more clues, whole new dimensions of the mystery are unveiled. Dashing from one scene to the next, Grace barely manages to stay ahead. The climax was entrancing and the ending poignant! Untraceable will flow easily into the sequel.
Plot: 5 Stars
S. R. Johannes' touch was subtle but strong. Somehow action-packed moments managed to convey a quiet thoughtfulness as well as painting a vivid picture of Grace's demons. As Grace tried to untangle her confused life, steady themes emerged and suddenly the title, Untraceable, held enormous importance.
Style: 5 Stars

Rating: 4.8

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Jump into a world filled with mystery, suspense, and a touch of romance in S.R. Johannes ¿Untraceable¿.

A father¿s love for his children is a strong bond, but what about a daughter¿s love for her father?
Grace is one kick butt heroine and she has learned everything she knows about the forest from her father. Her skills in wilderness survival and tracking will be tested when her father comes up missing. How far will she go in order to save the one she loves?

Grace is one of my favorite heroines she doesn¿t give up easily and I admire that. Her journey to save her father is full of some intense scenes and lots of action and mystery surrounding his disappearance. This story will linger in your mind long after it is over.

Along the way Grace meets a handsome and mysterious boy named Mo deepening the mystery. She increasingly intrigued by him, but as the secrets get more dangerous and she realizes she might be in over her head. It¿s going to take everything she has for Grace to have any hope of saving not only her father, but everything she holds dear.

Jump into a world filled with mystery, suspense, and a touch of romance in S.R. Johannes ¿Untraceable¿.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

You go, girl!

This YA book has it all. Strong, likable female main character? Check. A believable love triangle? Check. Contrasting, but cute love interests? Check. Adventure? Check. Suspense? Check! Check! Check!
Grace is determined to find out what happened to her missing father. Her survival skills are put to use and then some when she searches for him amongst the wilderness and dangerous men. Two boys are vying for her attention. The safe hometown guy and the mysterious guy in the woods-interesting contrast between the two. Grace isn't a femme fatale, she is a kick butt teen who can handle being on her own (with touches of fragility) and be appealing to teen boys. The best part of this book was the suspense. It was a page turner until the final paragraph!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A must read!!

A must read!!

Alright, so to be honest this book does start out slow. I was wo

Alright, so to be honest this book does start out slow. I was worried for a time that due to this being more realistic fiction that I was going to turn out not really liking it. Turns out I actually LOVE IT.


Once the story moves into some of the deeper mystery and betrayal things really pick up, plus add in a fine English boy and I am sold. Like any YA book, for me the characters are what make or break the book so let me give you a run down on a few of them.


Grace- Oh Grace. Unfortunately I found Grace to grates on my nerves. She is not the worse main character I have encountered but many of her choices leave me yelling at her for her stupidity. However I had the lucky chance to talk to Johannes about Grace and her actions and I came away from that discussion with the realization that Grace's panic choices are reflections of Johannes' own experiences. Being trapped in a survival situation is not something most of us encounter and although I believe we all want to say we would be clear headed and logical with our choices most of us would be just like Grace. I believe that because we see in Grace's actions is what we fear our own will be and that is why she rubs some of us in the wrong way. We as people do not want to be reminded about our own faults and short-comings. This has given me more respect for Grace and I do hope as the series progresses Grace will mature into the heroine with less unwise choices and more experience to guide her.


Mo- I abso-bloody-lutely love him. Any boy who says posh, loves rocks, and knows how to shoot a gun is a boy for me! Although Mo makes some choices that upset Grace I believe everything he does is for the love of Justice and his own father, what Grace lacks in intelligent decisions I believe Mo makes up for. Though his plan may have been risky it was more put together and I do believe that it was one of the major factors in victory for the characters. (I also happen to know that there is an e-short from Mo's point of view can be found in the In His Eyes anthology and will soon be released as an e-short of its own, so you know where I'll be ;) )


Tommy- The Grandfather I never had but wish I did, who also kind of reminds me of my Marine friend (who has been like a father to me). So I guess it is not surprising that I loved this character to pieces. A character with a strong heart who is not perfect but is there to save the day just in time. Without Tommy I do not know what Grace would have done or what this book would have been.

Wyn- And I have to give a little shout-out to the poor ex-boyfriend for all he did and was. Although I was rooting for Mo and Grace, Wyn truly had a good heart and was lovable. I hope that in the next book we will be seeing a bit more of Wyn and hearing more about his life and struggles rather than just the happy face he puts on.

This book had me crying, yelling, and wanting more. If a book can cause that much emotion, it deserves five stars in my book.

Last note, this book does contain some violence and animal abuse so it is not for everyone. (Such as my mother) But on that note the violence and abuse of animals IS the point of Johannes' novels. She wants you to get mad and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I was lucky enough to talk with her about this and likely you all will be seeing a blog post by her soon about it.

Didnt really like it

It was ohkay i guess . By the time i got to the middle i stopped reading

AMAZING

I loved this book! So much plot, interesting twists, and a well thought out plan- I can't wait to read the next in the series.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great book

Its nice to take a break from vampires ... i really enjoyed thos book and all the mystery. Looking gwd to the next book

Fast paced

Looking forward to sequel and reading more about Grace...great heroine.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Thrilling Debut

Untraceable was different than anything that I've read. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was still interesting.

I have to say, Grace is very kick-butt. It's refreshing to see a heroine who can take care of herself. From the beginning she was the only one who believed her father was still alive. She may have been tough on the outside, but as we read through the book we see that she has a heart filled with loyalty and compassion. When she set her mind to something, she didn't give up, even when everyone told her otherwise. She also has amazing survival and tracking skills. We could probably all learn a lesson from her. On some level, however, I never really connected with her. This usually causes problems but I was able to over look it here.

Untraceable a lot in it: mystery, romance, danger. Not everything was completely unforeseeable, but there were also quite a few surprises that I din't see coming. I quite enjoyed watching Grace on her journey to find her father. And I must say I quite enjoyed Mo, too. I got kind of worried about about that toward the end, but it was okay in the end.

Overall, Untraceable was a refreshing and thrilling ride. Very different from what I've read before, in a good way. An interesting story to go with a beautiful cover.

Suspensful Thriller

A great read. Untraceable tells the story of a younger girl in search of her missing father and is set in the wilderness. The author did a great job in transporting me to the setting. Grace is a character worth following with boy issues that includes two handsome boys that contrast each other.

A fun and suspensful read.

Great read for fans of tough heroines or amazing settings!

The highlight of this book¿for me at least¿is the KICK-BUTT heroine. Grace is literally so hardcore you will want her as your sidekick should the zombie apocalypse ever strike (not that there are zombies in this book, but you get what I¿m saying, right?). Grace knows the woods¿knows the sounds and animals and plants, knows how to live in them, knows when anything is amiss. She fishes, rides a motorcycle, and is pretty much as fearless as a person can get.

But Grace wouldn¿t stand out if she weren¿t dropped into such an amazing setting: the Great Smoky Mountains. She¿s attuned to the woods, so we the readers are locked into it just as tightly as she. The closest setting and heroine I can think of are those from Ilsa Bick¿s ASHES. All hardcore; all awesome and unique.

And, lest you remain unimpressed, I will just add on: this book is incredibly well-written. Not a cliched phrase in sight. Seriously, as a writer, I was awed by how many ways Shelli came up with to describe Grace¿s feelings.

So, if you like kick-butt heroines, thrilling action, or unique, stunning settings, then be sure to pick up Shelli Johannes¿s UNTRACEABLE.

A YA thriller that is a must read!

Untraceable is a young adult thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the story. This book seems to have it all mystery, intrigue, a strong female protagonist, a love triangle with two hot guys and suspense.

Set in North Carolina, we meet Grace who grew up living and breathing the mountains. Her father was/is a forest ranger goes missing and Grace is determined to find him, when everyone else including her mother has given up. Grace is someone who never gives up, she tries anything and everything to find her father. I loved Grace¿s character, she was strong, intelligent, determined and fearless and I enjoyed reading the story from her point of view, she was clever yet funny. Grace, also meets a gorgeous guy, with an English accent (*swoon) called Mo. Whom she teaches how to fly fish and falls head over heels, but is there another guy??

I¿ve never been an outdoorsy person and hiking in the mountains or camping out would be on my bottom of my to do list. However in saying this I loved learning all about it, Johannes had brilliant survival tips at the beginning of each chapter and her descriptions of the mountains were beautiful.

I was in constant suspense when I read this novel. It was fast-paced and definitely thrilling full of twists and turns, you will never see anything coming! It ends on a small cliffhanger and I cannot wait for the next novel in the series.

Great new YA book

Before I begin to write all the wonderful things about this book I wanted to start by saying, I absolutely LOVE the cover!! Isn¿t it beautiful?! I think it¿s gorgeous and now after reading the story, I realize it is a great image of what the story is about.

Untraceable is a thriller! We have young, stubborn and determined Grace who is consumed with figuring out what happened to her dad. Everyone in town, including the sheriff and Grace¿s mom are insisting that her dad died drowning and that there is no reason to keep searching for him. Grace will not believe he is gone and repeatedly goes to the woods searching for him. What she discovers while she is there is more dangerous than bears and rushing rivers!

This is the first time I have read a young adult thriller. Most young adult books that I¿ve read and enjoyed have been paranormal for the most part. Untraceable was unique and creative and I loved every minute of it!

I really enjoyed Grace! She is such a strong, stubborn girl and although I questioned some of her decisions, I understood her point of view and related to her! She is so determined to uncover the mystery of her dad that she is obsessed in a major way. Her obsession nearly costs her all her relationships and her life.

Oh¿.we can¿t forget to talk about mysterious Mo. Grace meets Mo in the woods and there is so much mystery surrounding him that it was extremely exciting. He is hot, has an English accent and seems to be just a really nice guy! Loved him!

The whole plot was fascinating. The more that was discovered about what was going on in the woods and in the town, the more frustrated I became with it. I wasn¿t frustrated with the story, but I was frustrated at the situation in the story. The author creates this realistic portrait of the evil going on and it gave me chills!!

The ending was surprising and completely unpredictable which made it that much better! We are left with lots of questions and I will be grabbing the 2nd book up as soon as I can. I highly recommend Untraceable to those that love a good fast-paced suspense with a bit of romance!

Content: Clean romance, some passionate kissing but that's it!

Thank you to S.R. Johannes for providing me a free copy of Untraceable in exchange for my honest review and opinion. All opinions are my own.