The Time Agency by Aaron Frale

I have always been a fan of time travel stories.  I have stopped listening to experts when they say time travel cannot be done.  After all, how can there be time travel experts if there can be no time travel (some kind of conspiracy maybe?). I also like stories that weave a web of mystery.  So, when I saw this book it seemed to fit some of my favorite categories.

We start off the story with a deep mystery.  It is the main character only we do not know who, where or even when he is.  It is an interesting variation on teaching a new world through a new inhabitant or student.  Here we have somebody well versed in its intricacies only, he can't remember what they are.  The problem comes in the narration.  I'm not averse to the more experimental but, I believe the experiment failed somewhat here.  The book used not only two different POVs, it used two different perspectives.  Perspective shifts from third to first person every time the POV shifts back to the main character.  The reader has to be especially watchful for changes in voice to pick up on this change.  It does highlight the unreliability of the main character as narrator but, I still believe it could have been done a bit more elegantly by sticking to one perspective.  It would have made for a longer story but, if it is a good one, who would mind.

Character development is another tricky aspect with this one.  In this case, it isn't a bad thing.  The main character is in constant flux because he is constantly reevaluating himself and his own motivations as much as everybody else around him if not more so.  It can be one part maddening to two parts exciting depending which part of the book you are in.

I am a big Doctor Who fan (Whovian if you please) and can withstand the mental stresses, strains and leaps required to really get into any time travel story.  With that said, this book wore me out with its whiplash changes in time, scenery and perspective.  Oddly, it took a bit too much time to straighten some of it out in my head for me to really enjoy it.  The language and violence land this one firmly in the PG13 rating.

 

 

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Aaron Frale, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Mystery, Review, Science Fiction, time travel  Leave your mark

John Dreamer by Elise Celine

John Dreamer had a really interesting and unique concept, but failed a little in it's execution.

The book opens when Andy wakes up to find herself in a vast white room with seven chairs.  She notices that one has her name on it, and the style of the chair fits her personality.  One by one, other teens appear in the room, all of whom have their own chairs (with different styles/personalities).  What are they doing there?  How did they get there?  Are they dreaming?  Or even dead?  And if not, how do they get out?  Eventually a very flamboyant guy called simply The Guardian appears and explains just a tiny bit to them:  they are all here to fulfill their dreams.  Then he disappears again.  What on earth does that mean?!?  And what's next?

First (of course), the good!  As I mentioned, this is a totally new-to-me plot.  It doesn't fit neatly into any of the more common YA genres, like paranormal or dystopian.  I suppose I'd call it "psychological suspense light."  I was definitely hooked from the beginning, wanting to know more, just like the characters.  I tried to guess at what The Guardian meant when he told them that they would all fulfill their dreams, and I couldn't.  Also, Andy was kind of an everywoman.  She wasn't overly smart or overly pretty or overly confident or overly shy.   Even the outfit she is described as wearing is average:  a white top with jean shorts and sneakers.  Almost anyone could identify with her.  The remaining six characters covered the gambit from short & nerdy to chubby & shy to an everyman (male)... something for everyone!

A big appeal of the book was the mystery, so I won't tell you what The Guardian means about fulfilling dreams.  But once that part of the story starts to unfold, it is rather neat to see each character's reaction, and what happens when they have attempted to fulfill their dream.

So now the flip side:  John Dreamer was a pretty short, quick read (only 203 Kindle pages), which didn't leave a lot of room for character development.  I felt like all the characters (even the main character) were very 2D.  And I wanted more!  This story was totally interesting, and I would have happily read a longer book with more character development.  Just as with the characters feeling a little flat due to short length, the action also fell a little flat due to the short length.  Again, I would have happily read a longer book if it meant more detail and development of the dreams!  No one is ever going to like every single character in every book, but I think I would have really liked most of these characters... if I got to know them better.

This is kind of a side note, but I would go see this if someone made it into a movie!  The Guardian is just screaming to be on the silver screen.  (I vote for Christopher Walken for his part.)  With Hollywood borrowing so heavily from the book store lately, I hope someone discovers John Dreamer for next year's YA summer flick.

A quick, slightly flawed, but still entertaining read.

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 01:00

 CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, dreams, Edelweiss, Elise Celine, Fiction, Review, YA, young adult  Leave your mark

Bobby Ether and the Academy by R. Scott Boyer

I had mixed feelings about Bobby Ether and the Academy.  The main character, Bobby, is 14 and has just discovered that he has special magical abilities.  Within an hour, he has manifested his ability, been sorta kidnapped twice, loses his parents, and is sent to live at a special boarding school for kids with these special abilities.  And that's only the first chapter!

My mixed feelings started with the cover.  I know that you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but look at it--would you guess middle school or high school for that cover?  I would have totally put that cover firmly in the middle grades category.  Turns out this book is 100% high school:  it's got quite a bit of length to it, the main character is 14 and in high school, and there is a scattering of "damns" and "hells" throughout.

My mixed feelings continued with the pacing of events.  As I've mentioned, a LOT happens very quickly.  And the pace never lets up at all.  This would probably be a great reluctant reader recommendation.  The reader cannot zone while reading this page-turner, or they'll miss some of the action.  No lengthy scenic descriptions here!  Bobby Ether and the Academy is character- and action-driven all the way.  However, while lots of action can be very appealing to some, for me it fell a little flat.  I started to feel like the author had a list of two dozen plot points to bring up, and then went back down the list resolving them in the second half of the book.  I can't put my finger exactly on any given moment, but there was a point where the book started to feel formulaic for me, which distracted a bit from connecting to the characters.

Bobby Ether and the Academy is a great readalike recommendation book.  I could definitely see myself recommending it to a youngish teen who has finished the Harry Potter series and is looking for their next read.  The older main character, tougher plot points (Bobby's loss of his parents and some other family secrets), and slight use of language make this a good "what do I read next?" book.  And after the exciting, action-packed finale to the book, I had to go visit the author's website to make sure that there's a sequel!  (There is:  Bobby Ether and the Temple of Eternity.)

I will also say that the magical elements were well done in this book.  I had no trouble believing in how they worked, and they fit nicely into the greater story.

Overall, not a bad book.  Not a great go-tell-all-the-people-to-read-it-now book either.  Definitely not one to judge by it's cover.

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Bobby Ether, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Edelweiss, Fantasy amp; Magic, Friendship, R. Scott Boyer, Review, young adult  Leave your mark

Beckon Me by Cindy Thomas

This fantastic New Adult book has just the right mix of college life, friendship, romance, and ghosts!

Beckon Me is only the second New Adult book I've tried.  I've been hesistant, under the misbelief that New Adult is just YA with sex.  Boy, was I wrong!  If all New Adult is anything like Beckon Me, its more about the age of the characters (college or very young adult) and the depth of the characters' interactions with each other and with the world.

Karina and Rainey, best friends, go out together one night during their freshman year to see a photography exhibit.  In an instant, their lives are changed when they come upon a mugging, and get shot.  In that instant, Karina learns that souls don't die with the physical body; they cross over into whatever is next.  Unfortunately, something goes awry and Rainey's soul doesn't cross over.  It lingers, and it's scaring the crap out of her.  Essentially "haunting" her.

Cindy Thomas has written wonderfully complex characters that the reader can't help but fall in love with.  Reading the scenes where the main character, Karina, is hanging out with first Rainey and then Gabby took me right back to my own college days.  Not only that, but I truly wanted to be in the apartment with them, eating ice cream, watching movies, or going out to a club to let loose.  I think the author did a fantastic job with Karina--writing her character in such a way that we see her internal struggle when it comes to making new friends.  Is it a betrayal of her best friendship with Rainey to accept Gabby's friendship?  Absolutely not!  And are you into romance?  There's this lovely slow build between Karina and Eli, the hot guy next door.  The sexual tension was killing me!  You see, he's not only hot and right next door and a fellow student at Backbay University, he's also witty and ever-present, always making himself right at home with Karina in class or at home.  He's her trainer (more on that in the next paragraph), and he's got a great physique (which Cindy Thomas does a fantastic job describing (fans myself)), and there's a hint of "maybe it's forbidden" thrown in.  No spoilers, but I will let you know that there's no behind-closed-bedroom-doors scenes, in case you're not into that.

As I mentioned, Eli is Karina's trainer.  Rainey's ghost keeps popping up in Karina's life, and this is because she's been marked as a possible Beckoner recruit.  Beckoners are people who help guide souls to the other side.  There are many pros and cons to accepting the job, one of which is that Karina will be able to help guide Rainey's soul, and release her from a purgatory-type place.  I thought this was pretty cool:  Karina essentially gets to "job shadow" or "intern" with Eli before making the final decision.  There are a few months in which they train and talk about all the aspects of the job before she makes her decision.  It turns out it's not as straightforward as Karina thinks.  You'll be kept guessing until the end whether or not Karina is willing and able to accept the danger!

I am so very, very glad I decided to give this New Adult romance/paranormal/friendship book a try, and will be waiting very impatiently for the next book in the duology!

Read More

Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Author, Beckon Me, Cindy Thomas, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Friendship, Love amp; Romance, New adult, Paranormal, Review  3 People left their mark