The Lightning Tree

The NI Revolution Trilogy, Book 1

By: Lene Fogelberg

Narrated by: Austenne Grey

Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Perfect for fans of Stranger Things and A History of Wild Places, this "masterful debut novel tells an epic tale of love, loss, and profound connection...with lyrical prose and heart-racing action" (USA Today best-selling Author Terri Giuliano Long).

Nature finally rises against humanity.

Flora Reed discovers a lifeless body in her front yard the morning after the last day of her junior year of high school. Matters get worse when more people from her small town are found dead under mysterious circumstances and police take an interest in the boy next door, Carl. Flora is convinced that Carl is innocent. Instead, she suspects that the deaths are somehow connected to her younger sister Fauna’s tragic accident a year earlier. What she learns changes everything, and she has to race against time to prevent the killings from spreading. Flora and a small group of friends soon find themselves at the onset of an apocalyptic battle between man and nature, with no one believing their story.

The Lightning Tree is the first installment of the Natural Intelligence Revolution Trilogy.

”Fogelberg presents an exciting story.... A brisk, thrilling novel of humankind versus nature...it’s a fast-paced, intriguing story that will likely appeal to young and older adults alike and keep them turning pages.” (Kirkus Reviews)

©2022 DeDaun Publishing (P)2022 Fireside Audio

An electrifying new YA thriller

This YA thriller blew me away and deserves to be famous. I became hooked in the first minute with the compelling story, lovable main characters, and masterful narration. The lyrical writing and the distinct sense of place that the author evokes are an added bonus. I appreciate the unique perspective of 17-year-old Flora, who is more of an outsider than the average teen, but thankfully she has the support of her best friend Carl as weird things start happening in their tiny Pennsylvania town. The writing was so good that I was very willing to go along with the unusual and far-out concept of the plot.

This novel is Book 1 of a trilogy, and the rest of the audiobooks are not yet available at the time of this posting. The end is not quite a cliffhanger, but it leaves me with lots of questions and eagerly awaiting the next book. This book has death, destruction, and fantasy elements. I think it is a thrilling emotional rollercoaster that is less dark overall than “The Hunger Games”.

Austenne Grey delivers a perfect narration performance. I have never heard her before, but I definitely will consider buying her other work. She has a lovely voice for Flora and distinctive and believable voices for everyone else. She is very versatile, is fantastic at pacing, and is excellent at conveying all the emotions.

Trigger Warning note and slight spoiler: There are a few instances of bullying in the book. There was one instance of the forced removal of the clothing of a minor in a way that was some form of assault. There are multiple instances of violence, including rioting and descriptions of bodies that had been killed violently.

I requested and received a free audiobook code from the Flock VIP Review Team, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review. #TheFlockVIPReviewTeam #FiresideAudio

The Lightning Tree

well, shoot this book was not what I was expecting. but I have to admit it was good, sad but good. 2 sisters that can feel and talk to trees. yes, the tree I know it sounds weird, but it's not. anyways they are running for their lives because there's a mob chasing and wanting them dead. Will they survive? Will they get away? But most importantly will help come for them? Idk your just going to have to read/listen to the book.

One Giant Surprise after Another!

I really enjoyed this story! It is so imaginative! I loved the twist the author put in here referring to “marks”. This one really surprised me! There is soooo much more than what is in the synopsis. They idea of what this author wrote about just had me thinking the rest of the day!

There is a wonderful cast of characters. We learn more about them as the story rolls along. I did listen to this on audio. The narration is well done by a new to me narrator. Austenne Grey did a wonderful job and is easy to listen to.

I look forward to the next in the series.

Thought-provoking storyline

This is the first book I've read/listened to by Lene Fogelberg. It was a thought-provoking storyline that I was entranced with and main characters that were easy to like. I had such emotional feelings for the mother and sisters throughout the story. Beware, there was a scene in which Flora was physically/sexually assaulted. I cried. It's good writing when I get emotionally involved.

Austenne Grey is an excellent narrator. This was my first time listening to her performance and I loved it. She does male and female voices exceptionally. This audiobook rolled like a movie in my head. Perfection.

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Unique & Interesting!

Enjoyable story. Well written with quite a few twists that I was not anticipating. The narration was enjoyable as well and I am looking forward to see where the next book takes us!

An original and intriguing story

I expected a murder mystery with a teenage sleuth, but ended up with a sort of paranormal scifi story. The man vs nature battles weren't what I expected either. And I didn't even mind, because I was fully interested in the story and characters. In fact, the story I listened to was more interesting than the one I expected.
Don't get me wrong — there are murders, plenty of mystery, teenagers putting all the clues together, and definite man vs nature battles, plus lots of twists and turns, some drama, a touch of romance, action, and a few scary moments.
Flora is likeable, her experiences and emotions understandable, and her motivations clear. All the characters are interesting and have secrets. Some big ones are revealed at the end, and set up the second book in the series nicely.
Austenne Grey was a great narrator. She was an excellent choice for Flora.

Intriguing & Thought Provoking! Exceptional Narration🎧

Wow, this story just blew me away, I can't believe this is the author’s debut novel, she is a gifted author with impressive writing skills and an imaginative mind. The story she created is original, with interesting storylines that grabbed my attention right from the start and captivated it the entire book. I adored the lead character, Flora Reed, who was amazing, her sister, Fauna, and friend Carl were amazing in their own ways too. Flora saw her younger sister climbing the old oak tree in their front yard during a storm, she was not listening to her to come down, so she went to get her, but it was too late and she could not get to her in time. That night changed both their lives, and it left them scarred in more ways than one. Even the townspeople look at Flora differently, but she has her close friend, Carl, who is always there for her. When some bizarre things happen around her, she puts it all together, and it seems the night with her sister was just the start of what was coming. This is the first book of “The Natural Intelligence Revolution” trilogy, and it lays down the foundation for the series and for what is coming which I am looking forward to. This cleverly plotted young adult, SciFi, fantasy novel has the perfect balance of drama, angst, mystery, action, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions, and just a touch of romance. Lene Fogelberg, thank you for this intriguing and thought provoking story.

🎧📚🎧 And for the exceptional narration, Austenne Grey is a versatile voice artist and her talent truly shines as she brings these characters and story to life. She had a complete understanding of the characters she was portraying, giving each their own distinct voice, that not only fit that character’s persona to a tee, but she made it easy to follow along and tell who was who. Her character voices are amazing, from her young adult to an older person, whether it be a male or female role, she was believable in each one. She handled the dialogue naturally and switched roles effortlessly without missing a beat. Austenne Grey is an entertaining storyteller, and she enhances this story to another level of amazing. Thank you for this fantastic listen, it was a pleasure to listen to.

Beautiful

Wow. A different story that kept me intrigued. Lene Fogelberg is very descriptive writing about this fight between man and nature. The writing just blew me away
This story is full of symbolism, Flora and Fauna are sisters spiritually connected to themselves and nature.
Austenne Grey emotional, narration of this story is phenomenal. I can't express enough what a wonderful storyteller she is. Very well done.
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Imaginative; suitable for YA readers

I enjoyed this story, though I am not in the YA age group. Admitedly, the writing was a bit too YA, if you know what I mean - plenty of first person rambling, only the MC teens are sensible and the adults are ignorant... But keeping aside the flaws of the genre, the story has an innovative plotline, and I cant wait to see where the author takes it next.
The narrator is quite good. Her character voices become a bit farfetched at times but on the whole, excellent performance.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book at my request and these are my honest thoughts about it.

I loved it!

This was my first Lene Fogelberg's book. The writing is imaginative, and enthralling. This is the first installment in The Natural Intelligence Revolution Trilogy, a Youg Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Dystopian Thriller. The story is breathtakingly well written, complex, emotional, and captivating. The characters are impressively well developed, and highly intriguing. I liked Flora, Carl, and Fauna. The storyline is filled with angst, drama, mystery, action, suspense, and unpredictable twists and turns. I liked the little romance in the story. Austenne Grey did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. She has a beautiful voice, very pleasant to listen to. The audio production is perfect. Looking forward to listening to the next installment. I highly recommend it. #FiresideAudio