Chendell: A Natural
Hero
Leslie I Landis
Young Adult Fantasy Series (Book 1) Climate Change novel
Paperback: 221 pages, ebook and audio read by Alicia
Silverstone and Adrian Grenier
Waldo LLC, April 22, 2020
ISBN 978-1732911406
$2.99 Ebook
$9.99 paperback
$17.99 Audio
Buy on
About the Book
A super boy from a village in China and a super girl from
rural Vermont meet in college and fall in love. Both grapple with their unique
powers and purpose. Will they master their abilities in time to save each other
and the ecosystem from certain destruction? And what twists does life have in
store? Originally released in early 2019, Landis is re-releasing an updated
version of her environmental YA fantasy as well as adding an audiobook format
in April 2020, to celebrate Earth Day.
While on a research trip to the
Peruvian rainforest, Robin Dell and Jamie Chen’s lives (and consciousness) are
changed forever when they drink a shaman’s brew and are transformed into
CHENDELL. Two halves of one person. A dual consciousness – female and male – in
one body. This new being is streamlined. Eurasian. With one green eye and one
dark brown eye. Shoulder length hair that is half auburn and half black. As
CHENDELL, their fight is to save our environment from the people responsible
for ecocide and biocide – the willful destruction of the environment and the
annihilation of living organisms. Individually, Robin can control insects and
Jamie can communicate and control trees and plants. When joined as CHENDELL
their powers are enhanced. Their senses are extremely acute. Their strength is
exceptionally strong. Their mind is lightning quick. And their powers are
extensively increased – not only with trees, plants, and insects – but also
with other living creatures. All of nature is their ally. Finally, Nature has a
hero.
A Brief Interview
with the Author
How did you come up
with the idea of CHENDELL?
Through media exposure, I certainly noticed how popular the
superhero genre is.
When I thought about why I was not interested in this
category, I realized that the typical superhero characters were not “real” to
me and they usually battled against “unreal” struggles such as someone trying
to blow up the world. So I thought why not a superhero who was fighting a real
world problem - ecocide and biocide - the willful destruction of the
environment and the annihilation of living organisms.
My book, Chendell: A
Natural Warrior, has an environmental theme. People of all ages care about
the environment but young people are especially tuned into the environmental
degradation caused by global warming. They know it is their future that is most
at risk.
Why is one of your
protagonists Chinese?
There are three reasons I made one of my protagonists
Chinese:
1. I’ve been to China and I found the Chinese people to be
gracious, warm and kind.
2. I know what it feels like to experience anger and
hostility just because I was American. I’ve traveled to other countries during
a time when we had an unpopular U.S. president. I feel the people of a country
should be treated as individuals, not as representatives of a government.
3. I’m personally very interested in other cultures and ethnicities.
Having a Chinese character was just
more interesting to me.
Why do environmental
problems worry you the most?
The future of every living creature depends on the health of
our planet.
What can people do to
help our environment?
Buy less, use less, waste less and recycle. Also, people can
vote for representatives who take the environment and global warming seriously.
How does a new story
idea come to you?
I read a lot of current publications – newspapers and
magazines – so trends eventually coalesce in my brain and ideas pop out from
there.
What do you do when
you are not writing?
The usual. Eating, sleeping, exercising, errands, grocery
shopping, going out to dinner, etc.
What was your
favorite book as a child?
Moby Dick
What is the one book
no writer should be without?
The one they love and inspires them.
My review
I love the concept of this story. It’s magical realism meant
for the adult who enjoys fantasy. The main characters are well drawn and portrayed in an engaging manner. There’s obviously a lot of comfortable background
research done, and the story often feels part travelogue, part science lesson. But the real story
doesn’t begin until chapter six—the first five are background. It’s important
to know where Robin and Jinsong—Jamie—come from; their motives and so forth.
But there’s a reason storytellers should start with action, why authors must
learn that background is not all that appealing when given to an audience in lump format, and
why genre and age level is important when describing your story. I wouldn’t
call this young adult and certainly not middle grade even though the author took care to keep the sentence structure simply and choppy. I understand why other readers are having some
difficulty placing it.
Anyway, in the first five chapters out of eight, two each
separately describe each of the character’s early family life and growing up
years in their respective China and Vermont; describe their families and the
issues that cause them to choose their respective careers in medical research.
They each have special gifts. Chapter five is meeting and life at school.
Finally at chapter six chapter is their courtship and double wedding and
concluding their doctoral studies. Then the excitement begins in chapter seven
as they meet the mysterious Dr. Roy and go on what we hope will be their first
adventure, an environmental studies trip to the Peruvian jungle where things go
wonky awful fast.
The way the story is told is unique. Characters are labeled
and get their own paragraph of narrative, diary-form, often backing up and
repeating scenes from their own perspectives. I enjoyed it, but again, it was
an awful long build up to the main event, which was over in two blinks of an
eye. Hopefully this will be the first of other adventures to save the world.
With much more world and people-saving in future books.
About the Author
Leslie Landis has been a teacher, a financial planner, a
bank trust officer, worked for a U.S. Senator, an associate director in television
and a licensed therapist. Her first book, is a humorous take on our food and
diet obsessed culture titled The Art of Overeating: A Bellyful of Laughs About
Our Food-phobic Culture. CHENDELL: A Natural Warrior is her first novel. Leslie
lives with her husband in Los Angeles. Leslie’s degree in psychology informs
her insight into how people look at the world and themselves. She created
relatable characters who reflect the roles we play and the uncertainties of
life. With a different take on gender equality and the battle to preserve our
environment, her superhero CHENDELL speaks not only to young people but to all
generations. In this captivating, exciting and realistic fantasy, Landis’
unique writing style presents a message of love, hope and commitment to
fighting the real world evil forces destroying our planet.
