Category: Teen and New Adult Fiction

Providence Unveiled – REVIEW

Valerie @ Valerie's MusingsLeave a comment

5 out of 5 stars

Providence Unveiled book cover - Memory (teenaged girl) with purple hair and black/purple dress holding sword with Will (teenaged boy) in the background

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Synopsis

A wicked plot dating back to the very beginning of Avall is coming to its end, and Memory is a vital part. In order to save her friends, Memory will break all the rules. With all worlds put at risk by her actions, she will have to step up and make the greatest sacrifice to repair Avall and make the world something better than before.

Review

Providence Unveiled by Selina Fenech is the last in the Memory’s Wake Trilogy and it provides a fantastic ending to the whole excellent trilogy.

The characters are just as “real” and believable as they have been from day one. The plot line is action packed, just like the first two books. It kept me riveted from page one all the way through the end. I was a little disappointed when I learned who one of the “true” villains was, but only in the sense that I had really liked the character and was disappointed that they turned out to be so evil.

I’ve enjoyed the whole trilogy and don’t think that the author could have written a better ending to it. Memory, Eloryn, Roen, & Will grow throughout the book and at the end you find that they’ve all come a long way from where they were at the beginning of the first book in the trilogy, Memory’s Wake.

Treat yourself and enjoy!

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©Graphic Garden

Memory’s Wake – REVIEW

Valerie @ Valerie's Musings1 Comment

5 out of 5 stars.

Memory's Wake book cover - Memory with black hair that has pink tips, dressed in her broken heart tshirt - Silhouette of a dragon in the background

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Synopsis

Lost in a world full of monstrous fairies, a troubled sixteen year old has to find out who she is and why her memories were stolen before she is found by those who want her dead.

She takes the name “Memory” and knows she has just one goal – to find her way home, wherever that is. But this land is strange. No technology to be seen, and iron is banned, thanks to a pact the humans have with the magical creatures who share their pre-industrial era world. In her t-shirt and torn jeans, Memory knows she’s different, even before she performs impossible magic.

Haunted by her past, chased by a dragon, wanted by the king and stalked by the strange, handsome savage that seems to know her, everyone is after Memory, and she suspects it’s not just for her eye-catching outfit. Her forgotten past holds dangerous secrets that will challenge everything she believes and risk the lives of everyone she loves.

Memory’s Wake contains over 45 illustrations by the author and artist.

©Graphic Garden
©Graphic Garden

Review

Memory’s Wake by Selina Fenech is not only the first book in a trilogy but it’s also Ms. Fenech’s first published book. She is a successful fantasy artist in Australia and now has several other books under her belt, including the rest of Memory’s trilogy.

I was already excited about this book coming out as Ms. Fenech is my favorite fantasy artist and I had learned about it through her newsletter. I was not disappointed at all! This is a wonderful debut novel for teens and young adults.

The book starts out on a high energy adventure and it never really slows down. The world that has been created in this trilogy is full of magic and wonder and yet is still believable. The characters are refreshingly real. They’re not perfect and yet they’re not completely bad either. Memory, Eloryn, & Roen are teens and behave as teens have for centuries. They’re thrust into a situation in which they’ve never been in before and they don’t know how to handle it. On top of the fact that they’re still learning who they are and what their purpose in life is. They don’t make the right decisions all the time. They get angry with one another and wish they could be somewhere else, but in the end, it works out.

The villains are just as realistic as the main characters and can be frightening and yet still very believable. We can see how the villain became the man he is.  Then, there are the marvelous illustrations. They really add to the story line, both the full-page illustrations and the smaller, more whimsical doodles that precede each chapter.

I look forward to seeing what happens to all of these characters in the next two installments of the trilogy.

Reviewers Note: This was written in 2011 when Memory’s Wake was first published. Since then the other two books in the trilogy, Hope’s Reign and Providence Unveiled have been released and are just as great.

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 – REVIEW

Valerie @ Valerie's MusingsLeave a comment

5 out of 5 stars

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 book cover - Silhouette of boy/man standing in front of a door with a window in it - boy/man's hand is emitting lightning

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Synopsis

My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.

Michael thinks he’s unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he’s to survive.

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Review

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans is the first in the Michael Vey series for teens. This was Mr. Evans’ first foray into the world of teen fiction and it was very well done. It’s a bit different from other teen books in there isn’t the horror and darkness you often encounter. Instead, there’s an underlying feeling of hope. There are villains certainly and villains that you would love to hate, but it has an underlying feeling of hope and inspiration. Yet it’s not “preachy” either. It strikes just the right balance of conflict, personal growth, and positive messages for teens.

The protagonist, Michael Vey, has Tourette’s Syndrome. It’s rare to find a book where the protagonist is dealing with some sort of syndrome and dealing with it successfully. It’s not hidden away in a dark corner. It’s shown as something that Michael has to deal with and yet it’s not the sole focus of the story. The teenage years are full of angst and uncertainty anyway and to add in a chronic health condition just makes it worse. This book shows teens that they’re not alone in their struggles and they can be dealt with.

Finally, this book holds your attention. It grabs you and doesn’t let go until the end. I read it in one setting because I couldn’t put it down! If you have teens in your life and you want them to be reading something other than vampires and zombies, perhaps consider introducing them to the Michael Vey series!