A Review of Megan Mary's "The Dream Haunters" (audiobook)

“The Dream Haunters” by Megan Mary is about as close to a fall beach read as you can get. Imagine sitting on a blustery dune, the wind whipping the gray waves, a thermos of hot cider nearby… You get the picture. This is the book you will want to read or listen to while bundled beneath your woolen cloak.

Hannah Skye has lost most everything she ever valued: her parents, her cat, her grandmother, and her job. Out of nowhere, she receives a letter and a plane ticket from her estranged aunt. The same day, she learns her aunt has disappeared. Immediately enmeshed in the mystery, Hannah sets out to Maple Hollow and her family’s ancestral Skye Manor. Maple Hollow exists in a state of perpetual fall, with pumpkins growing and the leaves on the trees in shades of orange, yellow, and red. There, she must uncover the truth of what happened to her aunt as well as find her own truth.

This was a very quick listen. The narrator, Pearl Hewitt, did a lovely job giving life to the different characters, even a tiny talking cat. The mystery is engrossing, and the cast of supporting characters offers both solace and menace to our main character. It’s fairly light as far as gothic-style stories go, and a novice in the area of astrology and witchcraft will appreciate the explanations, though sometimes a smidge pedantic, that Hannah receives from those wiser around her. These lectures can draw the reader out of the action, but the loss is not too great.

I enjoyed this quick, fun listen and wish I had more of it to launch me into autumn and toward Halloween. I received this audiobook from NetGalley.

Comments

Book Review of "The Dare Club: Nita" by Laurie Bradach and Kim “Howard” Johnson

Laurie and Kim will be awarding a $20 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so make sure to leave a comment here and visit the other stops on the tour: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/11/virtual-review-tour-dare-club-nita-by.html Series: The Dare Club Format: E-book & Paperback Genre: Contemporary YA, Mystery Length: 330 pages in paperback Blurb: Nita Conroy has relocated to the most boring town on the planet. That is, until would-be boyfriend Brad Keeley spills the beans about a secret group of girls known as The Dare Club. During her subterranean initiation below the high school, Nita overhears a plan by contractors and school officials to embezzle millions of dollars in grant money. When she is betrayed, The Dare Club's pranks become deadly serious. With the clock ticking, Nita will need the help of her new friends to expose the chilling plot--and hopefully survive long enough to snag a date to the homecoming dance. Exce...

Exposition: One tool the author has to tell a story

Exposition is used in two ways when talking about fiction. First, it is the set-up at the beginning of the plot arc. Where we learn the basic who, what, when, and where. This is a necessary part of plot to ground your reader. I'm going to address the second way exposition is used in a story. This is when an author gives background information, description of characters or setting, or summarizes events that have already happened. It can happen at any point in the story. This is a necessary, key element of writing and one of the three tools an author has to tell his or her story, along with scene and dialogue. A good author does this without slowing down the forward progress of the plot. That is, the exposition makes sense in the context of the scene (or action) of the story and does not trip up the reader or bore him or her. She turned her blue gaze toward him. Here, we get the fact that she has blue eyes in the context of the action. That's the best way to give description. One...

Show, Don't Tell!

Another common error young writers make is telling a story, rather than showing a story. This is probably because many of the short stories they have been exposed to are fairy tales, which have a distant point of view and summary-like narration. They start with phrases like "There once was..." and use direct characterization, like "She was the kindest girl in all the land." When we write, we need to show our stories, using vivid verbs, specific details, and deep point of view. Here's an example of a passage that is told. The action is summarized and the reader feels as if the action is happening far away: It was June of 1943. Eric's older brother had gone away to become a fighter pilot. Eric wanted to be a pilot too, so he got in the family's crop dusting plane and started it up. He flew it out of the barn and crashed it into the old oak tree in the yard. He hit his head. The doctor had to come. His brother came back, injured from the war. The two healed...

Writer and Editor C.B. Calsing/ G.G. Royale

Search This Blog