Discovery of the Five Senses

California author/screenwriter K.N. Smith has served as a consultant in communications and creative design, is the founder of Mental Health California, and the creator and director of the nonprofit community initiative – Brother Be Well. DISCOVERY OF THE FIVE SENSES is her highly awarded literary debut novel. This is the second edition of the novel first published in 2015.Revealing her art as a screenwriter – that cinematic flare that imbues every page with unforgettable visuals – Smith opens her YA epic with a Prologue describing a murder twenty years before the story begins. She then introduces her environment – ‘The community of Danville Heights offers the scenic route to a carefully crafted universe. Casts of shadows cool and soothe, beckoning the weary, comforting their plight. Explosions of color captivate, blanketing the land. A peaceful valley filled with families disinterested in city life, its combination of natural resources and quaint charm enchant those fortunate enough to dwell within.’ Into this atmosphere Smith places five teenage boys - Chase, Kinsu, Jordan, Alex, and Mark - sharing how their worlds change when they are exposed to an energy source that heightens their senses - sight, sound, touch, smell and taste - to extreme levels. ‘As the winds swirl in Danville Heights, the conflict facing the boys forces them to question their new reality. But they must find a way to embrace their fate!’Deftly merging fantasy with conflict, tension, danger, and drama, Smith has created a completely captivating story. Her characters are well-sculpted, credible, and invite the reader to join in the absorbing adventure. This novel pleads for cinematic adaptation! Very highly recommended. Grady Harp, March 22

The Urban Boys: Discovery of Five Senses by K.N. Smith is a wonderful story focused on a group of teenage high school football boys growing up in a small city. After winning a big game, the group of five teens ventured into a neighboring prohibited forest preserve where they were unexpectedly subjected to a mysterious energy source that gave the boys heightened senses in the form of taste, smell, hearing, touch, and sight, so much so that their abilities were like that of superheroes. Because of their new powers, they have been chosen to help defeat the evil lurking in a nearby town.I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. While this book I think would be more geared towards young teens and teenagers, as a middle-aged mom, I really found this story entertaining and full of adventure. The mystery throughout the storyline kept me wanting to keep reading, and each character had their own unique personalities that kept me on my toes. I think everybody can and will enjoy this book, and will recommend it to others!

A creative slice of sensorial fiction, Discovery of the Five Senses is an action-packed fellowship adventure where a group of pals become mysteriously super-powered, leading to various hijinks and vigilante heroics. However, a much greater threat is creeping over the horizon, and the team will need every ounce of heightened insight to save the day. About one-third of the way into the book, once the boys are granted their powers, and begin to move through the world with these new enhancements, the story's pace picks up, and the mysteries deepen. Getting to that point a bit faster may have helped hook me sooner, but the author does a good job of building a multi-layered world for these characters that readers can genuinely believe. The early innocence of the friends' and brothers' experiences gradually grow toward far darker and higher stakes, but the plot maintains a gentle and familial edge, with positive themes of personal responsibility, intergenerational sacrifice, and righteous purpose. It is certainly targeted at YA readers, but the story is strong and would be enjoyable for older readers looking for a well-penned and easy escape.

The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses, written by K.N. Smith, dives into fantastic worlds of magic, power, and the never-ending fight between darkness and light. Told in crisp prose, readers of all ages will find this an engaging novel.The novel is set in Danville Heights, where the paranormal exists. Five teenage boys, Chase, Kinsu, Jordan, Alex and Mark, encounter a strange energy source from the nectar of a succulent plant that enhances their five senses. As the boys realise that their senses are heightened, they soon realise that their powers come with the responsibility of saving the world. But obtaining power in a world where you once had none results in facing challenges: the five teenagers muse over how they will use their gift for the greater good. The powers they attain are perfect extensions of their personalities, and their weaknesses and strengths are the obstacles and drivers of the exciting plot. As the teenagers battle Truth, the Naculeans reveal themselves and lend to the battle. They understand and have respect for the abilities they are entrusted with. This shows the maturity and growth of the characters.The succulent, their life source of which they were fiercely protective, was the lushest of all the greenery in the preserve, and it beckoned.The nectar gave the Naculeans energy. It allowed them to live. It caused them to glow.The liquid was the source of empowerment for them and others.Avid fantasy fans will have fun recognising the heavily referenced material throughout the novel, reminiscent of the Harry Potter series. The text keeps its audience guessing, blending magic and metaphysics to lend credibility to all possibilities. Smith has produced a story with twists and turns that will keep readers on edge and perplexed as they try to anticipate outcomes.