THE LOST CHORD

A poisonous wave is spreading disease and discord across the eleven known universes. Seven special people, known as Keys, must strike the Lost Chord in order to restore the balance. Among those Keys is Bee Warrick, an autistic teenager from Earth who has traveled between the realms for years without realizing it. Can Bee help the Conductor find the other Keys before a bitter enemy strikes the wrong chord and shatters the universes?

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READ AN EXCERPT

CHAPTER 2:

BRYONY Warrick lined up the semi-precious rocks on her desk.
Hematite, calcite, tiger eye, malachite, turquoise, lapis lazuli, and clear crystal quartz. These certain stones, collected over years, varied in color, size, and shape. She knew them all by touch alone. Often at night she took them to bed with her, rubbing them to feel their colors and their healing strength.
"Bee! You'd better be working on your math!"
Bee grimaced, wishing her mother would leave her alone. She was fifteen and perfectly capable of doing her assignment. She pointed two fingers at her closed bedroom door. "Bzzzzzzz."
Minerals interested her more than geometry. They were important, their exact order, the gifts they brought. She just wasn't sure how.
"Bee! I mean it!" Without knocking, Gina Warrick opened the door. "Do you need help?"
Bee put her head on the desk and covered her ears. "Bzzzzzzz."
Her mother sighed. "Fine. I want it in my hands in twenty minutes!" She eyed the rocks. Then stepped out and closed the door.
"Almost," Bee said. She reached in her desk drawer and took out a heavy plastic container, the kind her mother used to save leftovers, and pried off the lid. It was half-filled with sand, colored sand that at one time she had layered in a bottle at an art fair but had since mixed together so the colors had blended to gray.
She rubbed her fingers together in the sand, her eyes closed, feeling the sensation of the fine crystals against her skin, a ritual performed several times a day, especially before math.
After a few minutes, she felt calm again. With a deep breath, she tucked away the sand and took out her geometry book. She started the first problem, working with a yellow pencil. That was what she always used for math. Yellow was math. Science was blue.
Halfway through, her brother Reese barged into the room. The tall, broad-built boy plopped down on her bright pink bedspread and dropped his football helmet on the floor, where it rolled in a circle before coming to a stop.
Bee jumped and covered her ears to protect herself from the sound.
"Hey there little sped girl. I see Mom isn't riding you about homework." He glared at her. "Must be nice to be autistic."
"I'm not stupid like you." Bee knew Reese wasn't supposed to call her names. Mom had told him often enough, but he never stopped so now she tossed names back at him.
She wasn't sure what "autistic" was supposed to be. She had read about it in books. She was just what she was, not some word that started with A. Her favorite book was Songs of the Gorilla Nation, about a woman with autism who had learned to communicate with gorillas.
"Stupid is as stupid does," she said.
Reese twisted up his face at her. He had the same auburn hair as Bee, a color received from their father's genes. She hardly remembered their father. He took Reese away every other weekend, but never took her. She no longer went to the window to look at him.
"Bzzzzzzz," she said, annoyed and wishing Reese would leave.
"You know that's so damn lame. Knock it off. People talk about you at school, sped."
Bee knew that term was derogatory by the tone of Reese's voice, but couldn't understand why it was bad. 'Special' was something extra good, so 'special education' should be something really great, right?
Besides she wasn't in specials any more. Just speech. Her classes were regular, just like everyone else, and she finally didn't have a TSS following her everywhere.
Since she could remember, she had been in occupational therapy. She had swung in a net and glued letters on paper. In hippotherapy, which she loved, she rode and cared for horses at a local farm. In de-sensitizing therapy, which she hated, her mother had scrubbed her body with a surgical sponge for fifteen minutes at a time several times a day.
The longest had been speech therapy, where she had struggled to learn language, a process that was short-circuited somewhere in her brain. So much didn't make sense.
Like special education.
The TSS, Therapeutic Staff Support, had been a string of different women over the years who were supposed to help Bee learn skills to deal with life. Some Bee had liked. Most she had not. One she had hated for pinching her when her mother wasn't looking. They came to her house or sat in class with her at school, always interrupting her thoughts with reminders. Take out your book, Bryony. Push in your chair, Bryony. Do you have your gym shoes, Bryony? The memories made her groan. Why couldn't they call her Bee like everyone else?
"No smart remark for that, huh? Figures." Reese smirked.
Bee eyed the grass-stained football helmet on her floor. Her brother played ball every Friday, sometimes at their school and sometimes somewhere else. Mom made her go, even though she hated being in the stadium. Everyone yelled. The noise made her want to hide.
She stared at the grass and mud. "It's dirty."
"What?" Reese pulled off his shirt.
If she had been the kind of girl that had gossipy friends, Bee thought, they would have confided that Reese looked like an actor on television, muscles taut and still tan from summer. Girls at school seemed to like him. Some were especially nice to her, hoping to get his attention. But even Bee could see through that.
"Go away." She turned back to her math, itching to pull out her sand. Once Reese had stolen the box and poured the sand into the carpet. Her mother hadn't been able to afford to buy more for nearly a month. The wait had been agonizing. She nearly failed math that time.
"Make me." Reese stood up and stepped in front of her. Easily six inches taller than she was, he had her trapped in her chair.
She didn't like it. She wanted him to stop.
After considering solutions, she punched Reese in the crotch. He bent over with a deep groan.
She grabbed one of the stones on the desk, rubbed it in her left hand for comfort, and then picked up her pencil.
He thumped the back of her chair. "I'm gonna get you for that." He limped out of the room, snagging the helmet on his way.
A few minutes later, Bee heard the shower running. She finished her twenty math problems and took her book down to her mother.
Gina loaded the washer with Reese's football jersey and her own uniforms from the restaurant where she waitressed first shift. "Do you have anything that needs washed?"
Bee shook her head. "I will have a cookie?"
"Sure," Gina replied, turning the knob to start the machine. As the water started flowing into the washer, a yell came from down the hall.
"All right, all right, I'll wait until you're done!" She sighed. "Not like I have all day to do this."
Bee trailed after Gina into the kitchen, where she took a cookie from the jar and sat in a chair, watching as her mother emptied a box of macaroni into a pan of boiling water and set a can of peaches on the counter. Reese always complained that they didn't have enough money or enough real food. But they had breakfast and dinner every day, and lunch at school, so what else did they need?
"Bee, I'm going to be late tomorrow. Nancy asked me to run a double shift, okay? Can you let yourself in the house all right? Just come inside and do your homework. Then you can watch TV if you want."
When the sound of the shower down the hall stopped, Gina started washing the dishes. "Okay?" When Bee didn't answer, she turned and poked at the chair. "Bee? Okay?"
Bee had been thinking about her friend Hana, imagining the sand in the desert. She should visit Hana. Soon. "Okay."
Gina studied her daughter. "You need a haircut."
"We can go to the haircut store?"
Bee looked up hopefully. She liked the beauty shop. They played a movie for her, so she could focus on the visual instead of the tactile repellent of someone touching her hair. When she had been small, she had screamed and cried when her hair was brushed. It had been agony.
The only way they had all survived was to brush only long enough to go through the alphabet. When her mom got to Z, the brushing stopped. And Bee had known her letters earlier than anyone on the block, even if it had all been trapped inside her head.
"Maybe. Let me see what tips are like tomorrow." She stirred the macaroni, turned it down, and set aside the packet of dried cheese.
Reese lumbered into the kitchen a few minutes later, took a peek in the pot, and frowned. "Dad has steak on Thursdays."
Bee's mother turned away, appearing stung. "We don't."
"And when can we get real bananas?" Reese studied the bag on the counter. "You always buy the ones with brown spots all over them. Just once it would be nice to have a plain yellow banana. You know, that's why they call it fresh fruit." He stomped past into the living room and flipped on the television.
Bee peeked around the corner at the loud noise that followed. The screen was gray and grainy with no pictures. The sound roared, saying nothing. She hated static, that's what her mother called it. It hurt her ears. She covered them tight.
"No cable, either? Crap!" Reese threw himself down on the couch, not bothering to turn off the television.
Bee saw the hurt on her mother's face and felt green inside. She got up and went to her room, where she didn't have to listen any more.

CHAPTER 3:

BEE closed the door behind her.
She tucked her lapis lazuli rock, carved in the shape of a small pyramid, into her pocket, and then climbed in bed under her comforters. She reached on her bedside table for the music box that she had received for her eighth birthday and wound it. When the melancholy tune began to play, she hummed along off-key.
The top of the small box, which fit in her hand, was a snow globe, and she turned it upside down, watched the little white flakes swirl and dip in the trapped solution. After several seconds of listening to the music, the usual thing happened.
The sensation of being in her bed wavered. Then there was a sparkling grayness all around her, like television static but not as loud. Bee squeezed her eyes shut. Bright speckles of light in the gray overloaded her sensitive sensory limits. When the feeling of movement stopped, she felt warm, very warm.
She opened her eyes slowly and saw the sun shining over a vista of red-orange sands and plateaus with mountains in the distance.
She had made it.
Bee tucked the box in her jacket pocket and ran up through the sand to the back door of Hana's adobe house...

[Copyright ©2023 Lyndi Alexander | No unauthorized reproduction or distribution]

READ REVIEWS

Goodreads

"Unique and ingenious, this story is gripping from beginning to end. The author did an excellent job of bringing the story to life. It resonates with vibrancy, color and sound. The main character, Bee, is adorable and so well-developed. I was not surprised to read that the author has autistic children. The way she portrayed Bee’s autism was very authentic. Every aspect of this book is exceptional, from the characters to the plot to the setting/descriptions, emotion, etc." ~ reviewed by T.P. Warren at Goodreads [FIVE STARS]

"THE LOST CHORD is young adult fantasy at its best. The universe is falling out of harmony, and several special young people from across different dimensions must be found. Known as keys, these teenagers are gathered from many places and then sent on a wild and dangerous journey to find a way to restore balance to the universe. [But no pressure, kids.] The main key is an autistic girl called Bee, who has dimension jumping abilities beyond the rest but who struggles to deal with new people and extraordinary circumstances. With teenagers from different races and even different species, the story tackles many social issues. Can these unique teens overcome their differences and learn to work together against those who want to stop them? Find the answer in THE LOST CHORD. This is a wonderful book for teens, pre-teens, and even adults." ~ reviewed by Amber Sparks [FIVE STARS]

"An imaginative tale that deftly shows that being different doesn't mean you can't save the universe. While reading THE LOST CHORD by Lyndi Alexander, I found how many of the characters first misunderstand and underestimate Bee, the autistic protagonist, a believable and compelling situation. Over time, characters learn Bee possesses strengths they lack that are just as powerful and important as the ones they have. This lesson and others about acceptance and understanding ring clear throughout the tale without becoming pedantic. The story follows a man known as The Conductor, who is on a mission to bring harmony to the multiverse. Failure means universal destruction. The stakes can't get any higher! To bring harmony, he must collect chords — manifested in youth from various alternate earths. Only by working together can they prevent discord and destruction. One area Alexander's writing shines is the creation of the various alternate earths. Each planet feels reminiscent of our own and different at the same time. She accomplishes this with some clever wordplay in her descriptions and dialogue. Overall, this is a fun and heartwarming story that will especially appeal to younger YA readers — I'm thinking of the twelve to fifteen crowd. The stakes are high, but the story is spun so that, while exciting, it's not too intense for the younger set. Also, I think the themes of working together as a team expressed through music and accepting others will appeal to this age group. Highly recommended!" ~ reviewed by Dan Rice at Dan's Sci-fi & Fantasy Blog [FIVE STARS]

I loved this book. When you find your mind delving into the story even in your dreams, you know it's a keeper. I have a grandson on the autism spectrum, and I found the character Bee compelling and authentic in the way she relates to her world through her individuality. The world building in this book is compelling, and thought-provoking. I could see many of our own world's issues brought to the fore in unique but different ways in the various worlds the children visit. This book would be good for middle school students to read, examining the various aspects of differences within people and how each have gifts in their own way. Bravo, Lyndi Alexander!" ~ reviewed by Janet Pierce [FIVE STARS]

"I was so drawn in! THE LOST CHORD is a great story with an unusual and intriguing plot. The characters are vivid and engaging. I loved how every part of the story came alive for me with fascinating places, strong protagonists, and mysterious pasts. Bee, one of the main characters, is a teenage girl who has autism, and Alexander's portrayal of her is spot-on and very accessible to those who are unfamiliar with autism. An enjoyable story that will stay with you long after you read it!" ~ reviewed by Tanya Savko [FIVE STARS]

"THE LOST CHORD is a fantasy novel based on a group of mismatched teenagers known as Keys chosen to save the universe from certain destruction. The book opens up with the Conductor, the man searching for seven keys. We immediately get some insight as to what is going on, the purpose of this story, and how it will likely develop. I enjoyed being in the loop since the beginning, so as to not complicate the story. The plot was well written and interesting. Alexander was able to weave multiple story lines all from a third person point of view into the story while still keeping everything in order, which I thought was well done. The main character in my opinion was Bryony (Bee) Warrick, a 15-year-old autistic girl, and one of the seven Keys. We got a glimpse of how an autistic mind works, as well as other people's reactions to these thoughts. I think it very important that the author had the courage to bring a character such as Bee to life. It's hard to depict such a broad disorder without showing research-based characteristics. From what I can tell, she very obviously has experience with autistic personnel and has shown her knowledge purely through character rather than facts thrown here and there. The other characters worked well together. It was interesting to see the different reactions to Bee from all of the characters, who had come from different planets and dimensions. The character arcs were clear and definitely worth the read to see all of the discrepancies between each and every one of the Keys. One of the biggest things I appreciated from this book was the diversity. Alexander has always had a knack for showing diversity in her novels, and she didn't falter here. There were interesting role reversals and certain dilemmas the characters had to overcome that really showed a message of acceptance and unity. There were many possible themes in this story. Understanding, leadership, teamwork, and perseverance were prevalent throughout the whole story, and all important messages such as not fearing the unknown and accepting people for who they are were very present and unambiguous. I always enjoy Alexander's work, and this is no exception. The clear diversity and character arc in this novel puts it at the top of my list of recommendations. I loved THE LOST CHORD, and I can't wait to see what Lyndi Alexander comes out with next. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars." ~ reviewed by Hayley Guertin [FIVE STARS]

"I loved THE LOST CHORD and its engaging autistic character Bee. Alexander's plot proved miraculous, uniting string theory and chakras as well as healing eleven universes with song. Alexander's characters, some prickly and disharmonious at first, grew into people I'd enjoy spending time with again and again. Alexander's comfortable style and steadfast belief, that all have value and deserve respect, propelled me through the book. Though I had to put THE LOST CHORD down to perform mundane, real world tasks, my mind continually traveled with Bee and her companion Keys." ~ reviewed by Janet Wells [FIVE STARS]

"Every issue of the human experience is addressed in this engrossing story! The thought provoking characters not only keep the pages turning, they also cause one to reflect on their own societal views. Your life will forever be changed for the better if you absorb the stories behind the story. If THE LOST CHORD doesn't become a movie, then I have given up on Hollywood!" ~ reviewed by Gina Chatfield [FIVE STARS]

"THE LOST CHORD is a fascinating insight into Autism and a darned good yarn. I thoroughly enjoyed this YA novel which is as much a mystery as it is Sci-Fi with relatable characters and a fabulous premise. Alexander pulls the reader into multiple universes populated by people of many different races, with an upbeat style and a straightforward voice. The combination of sibling rivalry, teen angst, runes, magic, time travel, and saving the world from the plight of the Scourge ticks all the boxes for me." ~ reviewed by M. Mcewen-Asker [FIVE STARS]

"THE LOST CHORD is a multi-dimensional story that pulled me in and kept me enticed. I am not a sci-fi fan normally. However, I decided to pick up this novel because the heroine was a teenage girl with autism. I have been an autistic support teacher for thirteen years and this is book has had one of most realistic, believable portrayal of a person living with autism! I will be recommending this book to my colleagues because it gives an insight to the feelings and mind of people on the spectrum. It allows people to see the main character, Bee, as different, not less. I appreciate that! I am giving this book a five-star rating because of it has a unique premise and is well-written. This story follows 'the conductor' through various universes in order to find the 'keys' need to heal all of the universes, which are being plagued by disease. THE LOST CHORD wraps alternate universes, chakras, stones, unique characters, and magic all into one amazing story that will captivate you until the end. I would love to see this made into a movie! Also, I'm dying to know what happens with Bee. Where does she decide to live? Are all of the universes healed? Will the conductor's arch nemesis attempt to return? I will be keeping my eye out for a sequel!" ~ reviewed by Michelle Stone [FIVE STARS]

"Once you read this, it will strike a chord within you that will resonate all the way to your soul. I first judge a book by its first chapter. Does it capture and keep my interest? In this case a strong YES! I give this book five stars because it contained all my likes, different universes, chakras, stones, believable characters and magic talismans. Once you read this, it will strike a chord within you that will resonate all the way to your soul. A conductor goes on a search to find the chosen few, each with their own special talents who set out to save ALL the universes! I was captured by her descriptions of the many planets of the many different universes; my favorite was Jandra with flying carpets! Each child gave their all in this quest, especially our Bee who will steal your heart. I am sure many of the readers will know someone like Bee who excels in the world better than we do. Their uniqueness makes us all think how highly intelligent they can be with the right guidance and support. I work along many students on the spectrum for the past three years, it is amazing to see how they process tasks and complete them in their own unique way. Each own special talent they excel at, like Bee. THE LOST CHORD was a very hard book to put down and stop reading, I had to read it all in one day! I've read many books from this wonderful and talented author. I challenge you to find everything she has written and leap into her words and see why she is so enjoyable to read!" ~ reviewed by Susan Sebrell [FIVE STARS]

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