Review | Eternal Island, K.S. Haigwood

Eternal Island by K.S. Haigwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fun, imaginitve and fast-paced fantasy adventure:

Eternal Island is a place of many magic persuasions and many mysteries. Invisible to anyone not invited, it homes vampires, witches, seers, mind-readers… pretty much any kind of paranormal entity you can imagine. It’s also a place of luxury, without hunger, deprivation, poverty – but a place ruled with the iron fist of Abe, the High Vampire, who dictates a firm-but-fair philosophy.

Abe is foretold of his true love by psychic, Rainey. His true love is Ariana, overwhelmingly desirable to him, but currently in a coma after a breakdown. Her husband died in a tragic accident and the shock caused her a total collapse. But rescued from her hospital bed by Rainey and her witch skills, she agrees to go to the island to meet her ‘supposed’ soul-mate. And once there, she soon discovers that she is a highly powerful witch with, seemingly, unlimited capabilities.

On her journey of self-discovery, during which her powers gradually manifest in the most unexpected and untimely ways, Ariana is pursued relentlessly by the love-stricken High Vampire. But Abe will have to learn some patience – not something he is used to – because Ariana, despite her irresistible attraction to Abe – is in no rush to jump into a relationship with anybody so soon after losing her husband – especially a vampire!

The story illustrates fascinating aspects of all things magical, all things devious – as we are introduced to the scheming Julia who is determined to seize control of the island – and all things romantic. With a tasteful input of sexual content, emotional roller-coasting, sneaky plans of betrayal and ominous warnings of tragedy, this story will hook you in and draw you effortlessly through the pages. There are some wonderfully drawn secondary characters, and a precise eye by the author for bringing so many characters and events to a neat and exciting conclusion. Recommended.

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Review | Forever Changed, Tiffany King

Forever Changed by Tiffany King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Conflicting emotions expertly drawn through a moving story:

Tiffany King demonstrates a talent for taking a character through personality and emotional changes, showing an evolvement from the behaviour of a child to the behaviour of an adult. In my humble opinion, this is the mark of a good YA story… showing that very transition into maturity. And King writes this behavioural switch effortlessly through a page-turning storyline.

Kassandra is Miss Popularity in High School – a somewhat spoilt and self-indulgent young lady whose priorities are brutally turned around by a family tragedy that takes her father and throws her life and family into turmoil. Burdened with grief, her mother withdraws into a dissociative state, leaving Kassandra to take care of business, and take care, above all, of her little sister. Dealing with her own grief, watching her mother retreat more and more into a dysfunctional state, caring for her traumatised little sister, Kassandra is suddenly laden with responsibilities no girl of that age should have to bear.

Maddon is the abused son of the man responsible for all of this tragedy. He is also irresistibly drawn to Kassandra, even though he feels guilty and even not-worthy of anything but her scorn. And indeed scorn is what he gets as he tries to approach her… she literally hates the boy in school whose father ruined her family. Yet over time, at a carefully measured pace, the story shows how two victims of tragedy can draw together, for support, for friendship, and maybe for love.

I found the story illustrated in a skilful style by the use of alternate POVs – each chapter following the previous from Kassandra’s aspect to Maddon’s, back and forth. This keeps the pace lively, gives the reader a vivid portrayal of what both main characters are experiencing, and takes us through the exchange of feelings which this tragedy has brought about to both of them. The principal background characters – namely Kassandra’s school friends, who should be supporting her at this time – are shown to be nothing more than fickle, shallow and fair-weather friends… none of whom are worthy of much more than a slap across the wrist for being so damned vacuous! The author depicts an intelligent indicator of what TRUE friends should really be like.

At its core, this is a story of two people who are reluctant enemies, but who are drawn together despite circumstances. You can expect the twists and turns that a good story boasts, and you can expect a moving prose that leads you hungrily to keep turning those pages. Recommended.


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Review | Miss Me Not, Tiffany King

Miss Me Not by Tiffany King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An emotional and engaging story:


A wonderfully contrasted story of pessimist and reluctant-optimist mentality – as the reader sees Madison, the central character, go through a confusion of attitude and acceptance.

Madison has a heavy guilt problem going back four years – one which completely reshapes her personality. In the early part of the story we see a very angry young girl, bitter and virulent toward everyone other than her friend James. With him, she has a strictly delineated relationship; since James has his own demons to deal with the two of them find a working relationship, bound by a mutual desire to end it all and leave their respective troubles behind. But pipped-at-the-post by a fellow school acquaintance, their suicide pact is rendered useless, and the anger Madison feels toward the tragic young man who ‘stole her thunder’ is evidently and accurately portrayed in the narrative.

This is a girl who, frankly, would have terrified me had I known her in high school: sarcastic, self-piteous, angry, distant, - all of which make you wonder about the past that has led her to be this way. It is therefore all the more warming to see that – little by little – the attention of the good-looking and warm-natured Dean begins to soften Madison’s harsh edges somewhat. Yet she resents herself for this, as though she feels she doesn’t deserve anyone’s kindness. So the question is prompted, can Dean do enough to make a difference?

Unfortunately, this shaky relationship leads to a gradual fracture in her friendship with James; a friendship that will lead to a terrible outcome. And as to Dean, he clearly carries his own guilt and feelings of failure – all vividly portrayed in the sequence of events.

Miss Me Not is a powerful character-driven story about despair and enlightenment. The story moves at a lively pace – with each chapter cleverly ending with a teaser which leads you on to want more information. There is also a pulling storyline which references past pains with all of the principal characters – making you eager to know more about each of them. The subtext on the matter of forced-religion is particularly astute… sadly too often a feature of children's lives. Tiffany King does well to illustrate this social problem so vividly.

And finally, the ending – all neatly tied up in the Epilogue, which I found to be an adroit summation to the events… in fact, the book finishes with a “no muss no fuss” attitude, and I thought this was perfectly executed.

All in all, a good read, an informative and well-paced backdrop, and a cleverly constructed plot.

Recommended.


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Review | An Uncommon Family, Christa Polkinhorn

An Uncommon Family by Christa Polkinhorn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So good I read it twice!

A rich and emotive story around three principal characters, each with their own troubled pasts. Although each of the characters bears an entirely different burden to the others, all three become inextricably linked in the unfolding story of an unlikely union.

Karla, a precocious and talented young girl; her guardian aunt Anna, withdrawn and mistrustful of men, devoted only to her niece; and Jonas, a kindly, gentle-souled man who undertakes art tutoring of young Karla. In doing so, a warm yet cautious relationship develops between he and Anna – but one that the reader wonders how it may possibly develop with Anna so rigid and full of doubt.

All three have tragedies to conquer, from grief to betrayal to guilt. Yet a close bond forms as Jonas becomes closer to both his protégé Karla, and the woman of his increasing desire, Anna. But as secrets unfold, and memories of betrayal linger, even as childish mischief comes into play, it looks sadly like this trio of loveable characters are going to drift apart.

This is a story described in a beautiful literary prose style, the narrative detailed and lyrically descriptive. I’m especially fond of the portrayal behind each three personalities. In Karla I see the amazing, if tragic, devices that a child may employ to deal with grief. Imagining under certain circumstances that a crack opens in the sky and you can see into Heaven to talk to those you’ve lost. Very touching. In Anna, the stoic mentality that is her armour against another betrayal, yet her own self-doubt at her capability to be enough of a ‘parent’ to Karla. And in Jonas, the persistence and patience of a solid character with a heart of gold, but a mind full of guilt for a crime that, in my opinion, really isn’t his to bear.

And… wherever I may have suspected the story would lead, I could not guess at the surprise twist in Anna’s past, a revelation that changes Anna’s perspective and, perhaps, enables her to release some of her pain. Only by moving beyond the past and looking optimistically ahead, will she have any chance of happiness.

All of the texture in this story, the smooth passage of time through seasons and years, the crisp dialogue and smooth plot development, makes for a thoroughly rewarding read. I recommend you read it, and ease into the nourishing atmosphere of this charming and cleverly depicted story of love, loss, loneliness, and hope.


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