This page contains both reviews of the book and articles about it.
Young Falcon was the bestselling young adult book on the Arboretum Barnes and Noble Bestsellers' List in December 2011.
Young Falcon was the bestselling young adult book on the Arboretum Barnes and Noble Bestsellers' List in December 2011.
Reviews
'Very rarely will I read a book that will emotionally connect me with the characters. Rarer still will that book keep my attention. The story in those kinds of books is usually just too slow. Young Falcon not only went extremely in depth into the characters, but also kept me hungry for more until the last page...which left me begging for the next book.
The first 3 chapters or so, aside from the prologue, actually move slower than I prefer, but each page in those chapters is essential to the story and, more importantly, is interesting to follow. Without these first chapters, there would be no basis for the story and I would not have gotten to know the characters nearly as well. Deceptive "lulls" in the plot are scattered throughout the book, but do not be fooled. What may at first glance appear to be a slow part in the book could very well be one of the best chances to understand a character's motives. I came to enjoy and cherish these quality times with the characters.
However, if these "slow" sections aren't for you, don't worry. There's plenty of action! Plus, the conflicts are beautifully integrated into the storyline; they aren't just randomly placed simply for the sake of having some action.
My favorite aspect of this book is that it has so much variety. Forests, plains, mountains, countryside, cities; no two places are the same. Even better, the characters each have a unique personality. People that seem so similar turn out to be quite different, and people that you wouldn't ever pair together are more alike than it may seem...
Overall, I give the book 4 out of 5 stars, not because the book left me unsatisfied; quite the opposite! I believe that this series has more potential and that this will be seen in the books to come. 5/5 ratings are sure to come with them! All of that aside, Young Falcon is a must read for any fantasy fan looking for a fresh, new story.' - Travis Clark, age 16
'A brilliant story, a wonderful escape, a vibrant world that draws you in and invites you to stay. Rarely does a writer create characters with such insight into their soul.' — Jayson Hammett, Curriculum Professional
'Full of adventure! Highly recommended! The characters are brought to life. You are pulled into another realm and don't want to leave. The book is full of action, adventure, betrayal, suspense, and so much more, that you yearn for the adventure to continue.' - N. Glenn
'A very talented young writer! I recommend reading Sons and Daughters: Young Falcon, even if you aren't into elven fantasy; you will enjoy it. As a retired middle school English teacher, I find Elizabeth's writing packed with figurative language, delightful imagery and other elements of well written literature. I'm very impressed with Miss Elizabeth McKinney's writing skills. I look forward to reading the entire series of Sons and Daughters, and all her future writing endeavors. I wish all young people could write with her literary flair!' - Julie Meek Burnside, retired English teacher
'I was captivated by this book and I look forward to the next one of the series. I am sharing it with all my coworkers at my job and they love it as much as I do. It takes you to "another world"! Keep up the good work, Elizabeth McKinney!' - Rae Anne Sloan
'[Elizabeth] is a literary genius.' - Marcus McCormick, age 18
'My 10th grade daughter is not a reader by nature but since the author was her same age, decided to give the book a try. Unexpectedly, my daughter LOVES the book and can't put it away at night. The characters are very well developed and the story-line is mesmerizing. She's very excited for the next book to come out, and I love that she's reading an extra book outside of school. The young author has amazing talent!' - Sarah
'I stayed up until 2 o'clock in the morning reading Young Falcon. It was a great book! Well done!' - Grace Cammack, age 16
'It was an honour to be one of the first people to read this book. Elizabeth has a very descriptive writing style, a fascinating cast, great knowledge of many subjects, and a wonderful ability to write about them realistically and convincingly.' — Libby Weed, PhD, Principal
'Young Falcon was so good! I don't usually read this type of book, but I really loved this book! I can't wait for the next one!' - Samantha Walker
'This book was amazing! I loved every second of it!' - Kayle Morin
'I couldn't wait to read Young Falcon; I was more excited about it than Christopher Paolini's Inheritance!' - Casey H., age 14
'Young Falcon was so good! I don't usually read this type of book, but I really loved this book! I can't wait for the next one!' - Samantha Walker
'This book was amazing! I loved every second of it!' - Kayle Morin
'I couldn't wait to read Young Falcon; I was more excited about it than Christopher Paolini's Inheritance!' - Casey H., age 14
'Young Falcon is totally captivating. I couldn't put it down, and when I reached the end, I flipped the last page, wishing for more. Her book is amazing; I loved it! Everyone needs to buy it and read it. I can't wait for the sequel!' — Priscilla Glenn, age 16
'An adventure into an extraordinary world with remarkable characters and unpredictable twists. Definitely a must-read!' - Mia Dedear, age 14
'Young Falcon is an intriguing read. Ms. McKinney’s characters are without doubt my favorite part of the story. All of them have a great knack for arousing your curiosity; she tells you just enough to make you want more. They keep you on your toes wondering about what they will do next. Her setting was described in such detail that it is easy to imagine that she might have actually been to the places she writes about. All in all, Young Falcon was a great ride. I loved it, but I suspect it’s only the tip of the iceberg. It was peppered with teasers in plot and character, and I can’t wait to see more of her rich setting and delightful characters!' - Natalie Bergeron
'Young Falcon is honestly a lot better than Eragon. The characters have so much more depth and are so engaging. I loved this book!' - Molly M.
'If you like fantasy and haven't read this book, you should definitely check it out. It's a great read!' - Anthony Milan
'[Elizabeth] needs to hurry up and get the next book published! Young Falcon was so good! It's the best book I've ever read! I loved the characters, and the suspense of the plot was very intense.' - Alex Singleton
'An adventure into an extraordinary world with remarkable characters and unpredictable twists. Definitely a must-read!' - Mia Dedear, age 14
'Young Falcon is an intriguing read. Ms. McKinney’s characters are without doubt my favorite part of the story. All of them have a great knack for arousing your curiosity; she tells you just enough to make you want more. They keep you on your toes wondering about what they will do next. Her setting was described in such detail that it is easy to imagine that she might have actually been to the places she writes about. All in all, Young Falcon was a great ride. I loved it, but I suspect it’s only the tip of the iceberg. It was peppered with teasers in plot and character, and I can’t wait to see more of her rich setting and delightful characters!' - Natalie Bergeron
'Young Falcon is honestly a lot better than Eragon. The characters have so much more depth and are so engaging. I loved this book!' - Molly M.
'If you like fantasy and haven't read this book, you should definitely check it out. It's a great read!' - Anthony Milan
'[Elizabeth] needs to hurry up and get the next book published! Young Falcon was so good! It's the best book I've ever read! I loved the characters, and the suspense of the plot was very intense.' - Alex Singleton
'
Articles
Insights: The Brentwood Christian School Newsletter
'Brentwood Christian sophomore Elizabeth McKinney has had her first novel, Young Falcon, published. The book is the first in a fantasy series titled Sons and Daughters, and chronicles the story of Elysia, a girl who develops a mental bond with a man she's never met. The bond becomes so strong that the two cannot tell their own thoughts, dreams, and emotions apart.
Young Falcon is available for $18.95 at Barnes and Noble (in stores and online), Amazon.com, Smashwords. com, and some local bookstores' — Gretchen Schultz Allen, Reporter
The Bear Facts: Brentwood Christian School Newspaper, winner of several 'Newspaper of the Year' awards
'After four years of writing, BCS sophomore Elizabeth McKinney will be seeing her first novel, 'Young Falcon', hit the bookstore shelves on Nov. 7.
"Even in her essays she's good," sophomore English teacher Jessica Love said. "Most tenth graders are still learning how all the punctuation works for a five-paragraph essay. Her being this advanced is kind of a big deal."
Apparently, getting the book published wasn't as hard as McKinney expected. In May, after considering self-publishing, McKinney found Book Publishers Network, and after sending a few emails back and forth, they agreed to start the process to publish her book. All they asked from her was a few revisions to fix some mistakes.
"I've read 'Young Falcon' so many times I can practically quote it," McKinney said.
McKinney said her book will be available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and Smashwords.com. 'Young Falcon' is 376 pages long and was written as a young adult fantasy. The back cover of her book will include testimonials from elementary principal Libby Weed, junior Priscilla Glenn, and McKinney's cousin, who is an English teacher. McKinney said they were given drafts of the book while she was still revising it so she could get critiques and have an extra opportunity to improve her book.
'Young Falcon' is set in a post-modern elvish society, which follows the story of a girl named Elysia who sets out on a journey to the elvish capital for her father. But shortly after, she is captured and nearly sold to humans, who according to legend were wiped out long ago. Then, while in prison, she develops a mental bond with a man she's never met, but it becomes so strong that most times they can't distinguish between each other's thoughts.
McKinney is still working on many other story ideas. She has already written two more books to 'Young Falcon' and like to create a total of eight books in this series, which she is calling 'Sons and Daughters'. She has plans for other series that would correspond with those books, and others that would be completely separate. She also plans to use the money she gets from the first book to help pay for publishing the rest of her books.
Not many who know her can say this was unexpected. McKinney has been writing ever since she was five, when she wrote an eight-page story about a TV series called 'Redwall'. When she was in sixth grade, McKinney got the idea for her first original story, which is now 'Young Falcon'. In eight grade, after working on her story for two years, she had written more than 700 pages and her idea has split into two fairly large books.
McKinney also has an online blog which she uses to post updates on how her books are coming, her opinions on different matters, how publishing is working out, and sometimes little segments from her book as well.
"I couldn't imagine a better life for myself than writing the stories my King has given me to tell," McKinney wrote in one post.
However much McKinney enjoys and spends time writing, she still has a life outside of it. People who know her well also know about her very strong relationship with God. Because of her faith in Him during the publishing process, she never gave up hope that He would allow her to publish her book, no matter how long it took. And now, through her faith and determination, she was able to achieve her dream.
"This whole experience feels a bit surreal," McKinney said. "This is the kind of stuff you read about or see in movies, yet it's happening. God is so great!"' — Jonathon Reich, Reporter
Articles about Elizabeth have also been published in Salado's Village Voice and in the Temple Daily Telegram.
Articles about Elizabeth have also been published in Salado's Village Voice and in the Temple Daily Telegram.
