Reviewed by Chris
Longmuir
I was slightly out of my comfort zone with this book, as my
usual reading diet is crime, suspense, and action. However, I do like a good
ghost story as well which was why I was drawn to it.
Emma and Lana are two adopted sisters and as the story
evolves it becomes obvious they have special powers. The first section of the
book where they discover a mysterious boy washed up by the sea, and then the
death by drowning of the elderly Josiah Grimshaw was full of suspense and
really kept me guessing, which is what I like in a book.
Lana is afraid of heights, so when she feels impelled to
climb to the pinnacle of Carlton Point, not only was she terrified. I was too.
And then when she stood on the edge of the sheer drop my heart was in my mouth,
and here is how it felt for Lana – She
could feel her heart beating, feel it thudding in her chest. She couldn’t open
her mouth; it was too dry. All she wanted to do was scream but she couldn’t
even do that . . . A sudden massive gust of wind took her feet from beneath her
and she was forcefully pushed from the top of Carlton Point, falling silently
and peacefully to the rocky hills below. End of chapter. Now that really is
strong writing and a terrific cliff hanger.
There is a similar scene with Emma who is afraid of water.
She is on a ferry when a voice entered
her head and told her to jump . . . Her face was as white as a sheet, but her
body didn’t seem to care as she threw herself from the boat into the cold waters
of the Thames estuary.
The mystery deepens when the girls travel to London for a work
placement, but this is no ordinary work placement. By this time the girls have
developed their special powers and they join a group of young people who also
have special powers. This was the section where I felt most out of my comfort
zone, because there were descriptions of each person’s powers. Although this
section was intriguing I found it lacked the pace of the previous section, but
that is because I like suspence and action, and I have less patience for the
building of fantasy worlds. I have a feeling that this will be the section that
will appeal most to fantasy lovers.
The pace picked up again by the end of the book as Emma and
Lana seek to free Josiah Grimwood and allow him to move on. The explanation of
why he was held in limbo was intriguing and in line with the fantasy element of
the story.
In conclusion I really liked the characters of Emma and
Lana, and shared their fears and joys, which is what good charaterisation is
all about. I also found lots to interest me in this story, and I loved the
parts which were full of suspense and action. I did feel it lagged a bit in the
middle, however dedicated readers of fantasy will probably not agree with me
over this. Overall it was an enjoyable read.
Chris Longmuir
The book is available at:-
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