Turning Another Page

Alex McKenna & the Academy of Souls

Revisado: 05-14-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Having the gift of sight would probably be helpful, but would it be scary? Imagine you are sleeping and you suddenly wake up to find a ghost sitting on your bed or standing over you, just waiting for you to open your eyes. That would be pretty terrifying for some. For others, it might be entertaining. Who knows. In this world filled with paranormal activity, Alex McKenna is the lead character and Bush has added a little bit of spice to his character. He sees ghosts and solves mysteries! Who doesn’t love that?

This story begins with a little bit about the Academy of Souls and Ophelia’s current state, a ghost. Once dead, she resolved herself to finding her lost sister’s soul instead of letting herself accept the light. She’s had plenty of chances, but without knowing if her sister has found peace too after her soul was taken by a snatcher, she can’t leave the in-between. Locked in an alternate school overlaying an actual school in the living world, she becomes quickly aware of Alex, a boy who can see ghosts, her specifically, and who may have also had contact with her sister. Alex McKenna and his girlfriends/sidekick just unwrapped a horrific mystery, but is all too willing to jump into this one to help Ophelia and friends. It is now just a race against time to find Ophelia’s sister, Haven, but will they be in danger of separating from their souls as they progress?

Bush dives into a ghost realm, filled with creativity and original content. While some scenes are a bit extreme, the overall plot is entertaining. The character development does provide a bit of confusion at times with the multitude of extended mention of frivolous characters that do not contribute to the story-line, but this narrator does not disappoint. Rothenberg does show his skill in his ability to captivate his audience by drawing personalities into the characters that Bush has created with his voice. His narration is entertaining and suits the story quite well. The pace appears to be well kept and steady during voice relay, while the tone of story switches back and forth between a light and more serious setting in the appropriate places. If you are interested in reading YA Paranormal, supernatural mysteries, and suspense, you may want to pick this one up.

An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to Alex McKenna & the Academy of Souls by Vicki-Ann Bush.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Silver Spells

Revisado: 05-07-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Halfway through your life and you have a midlife crisis, that is normal right?! What if halfway through your life, you get magical powers? Wouldn’t that be interesting? The Midlife Elementals Series is not your typical fantasy or paranormal fiction, but it does have some entertaining ideas and brings originality to readers.

Luella works at Suntan Queen, in the Marketing Department, heck she started that department, but now its bad news bears for her. She’s been ousted without a rhyme or reason to justify the cause for a firing, but out of a job and with a daughter in college, Luella’s life couldn’t possibly get any worse, could it? Just when anxiety and her nerves can’t handle anymore stress, something happens to her and two of her friends. What she can only presume to be magic, they begin to see strange things like a flying silver dog and lifelike murals that seem like they can leap off the walls…literally! Luella and her friends soon realize they’ve been gifted with elemental magic, but what now? There is still the whole “no job” and “bills to pay” for Luella, and with the additional stress of finding out where these new powers came from, the three women are taken by surprise to find that the answers may be closer than they think.

Moseman’s first installment is alluring with elemental magic at play and creativity, but lacks a bit of character development. There are a lot of questions that were left unanswered, or open-ended with no resolve in sight. Some of the characters were rushed in scenes and the full scope of personality or back-story would be more compelling to a reader of this genre. Sands is sensational, with her southern drawl and charm. She livens up the characters and gives the story vibrancy while keeping an acceptable pace. Since this was an audiobook, the review does not critique spelling or grammatical errors; however, by the fluency in narration, it appears the story is well-written and a reader would have little to no issues if reading rather than listening is preferred. With this being the first installment in the Midlife Elementals Series, readers and listeners alike can dive right in.

An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to Silver Spells by Kate Moseman.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter

Revisado: 04-08-21

Are you a fan of monsters? What about the ones from olden days, like Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and other creatures from that era such as werewolves and vampires? They have always been fascinating in one way or another for most, especially since these characters are all created from failed scientific experiments. These can all be categorized as classic horror stories. Obviously, horror has evolved so much over time that it would not be considered so now, but for those who enjoy classics to this day, Goss begins a fascinating adventure just for you and she’s even added the infamous Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Mary Jekyll has lost her mother, her last living relative, or so she thought. With little money and no way of obtaining her father’s fortune, Mary is forced to sell some of her mother’s belongings to even pay the staff. She is approached by a solicitor with regards to a secret account opened by her mother, where account payments were being made monthly to a finishing school in the name of Hyde. Feeling confused, she approaches Mr. Sherlock Holmes to ask for an investigation into the disappearance of Mr. Hyde, a well-known criminal who has seemed to disappear. Starting with a small piece of the puzzle, she knows that her mother and this mysterious Mr. Hyde had some type of connection, but how? What she finds at the finishing school is only the beginning. As Mr. Holmes and Mary find more clues, they embark on an adventure which will ultimately lead to the unraveling of a huge secret society that specializes in the creation of monsters.

Goss tells this story from a character by the name of Catherine, half-woman and half-puma, who Mary meets along the way. She is the writer of adventures of the Athena Club’s foundation as told to her by the other characters in the story. What a clever idea, a story within a story! The characters are all exceptionally well-developed and they are all appealing in their own right. This first installment flows effortlessly and the pace keeps the reader on their toes and looking for the next clue. Since this is classified as historical fantasy or fiction, the timeline is credible with characters created in the same time period. What makes this story notorious is the significance of characters that are known to readers from other retellings. This just means the reader automatically gets insight of who is involved as well as a precognitive understanding of their persona as told by others. The narrator beautifully captures the characters and intensifies the story with her various accents, vocal distinction capabilities, and smooth dialogue. If you are a reader of mysteries in a historical setting, you will definitely appreciate this series. Reading these books in chronological order is recommended for this series.

An audio copy of this book was purchased by Turning Another Page. We provide a five-star rating to The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Ashes Beneath Her

Revisado: 09-30-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Would you believe it if someone came to you and said they see ghosts? Do you believe in ghosts? If your answer is yes to both, this is definitely the book for you. With a bout of mystery and a little bit of paranormal assistance, this story will guide readers on a path of redemption–you’ll just have to go through a corrupt and evil family first. Erickson’s third installment in the Northern Michigan Asylum Series is the best one yet.

Orla is the last woman to be abducted in a string of disappearances. There have been others, but Orla doesn’t match the bill. She has brown hair instead of blonde and certainly doesn’t have green eyes like the other girls. When another girl’s mother, Liz, finds out about Orla’s disappearance, she is vested in finding more information if it can help her locate her daughter Susan. An investigator has been asked to look into the disappearances and upon meeting Liz, he begins to get a little more insight about the others who disappeared. The evidence starts to stack up and as Abe gets closer to finding out what happened to Orla, with the help of her roommate, Hazel and the disturbing sightings of a girl with a yellow t-shirt and a missing shoe, he learns that all leads wind up at the Northern Michigan Asylum. Finding the culprit may be harder than they think once they start digging into the doctors and the evil pasts that shroud their families and this mysterious Brotherhood. Can he find Orla before it is too late?

Erickson leads her readers into a cold and dark world, but quite a fascinating one. While the story and the characters are fictional, the asylum is real and has been researched thoroughly. This provides originality, while still giving the author credibility. This place, you can imagine, has a ton of creative and unusual stories and this is where Erickson is able to lure her readers into this third installment. Stein’s narration is a bit stale and shallow. Erickson has another enticing story, but the narration is lacking a bit of emotion. Each character she narrates is monotone and hard to relate too because of this; it was also quite difficult to hear the narrator. If you are a reader of paranormal fiction and mysteries, this may interest you. This is the third installment within the series; however, it can be read as a standalone. Everything is different with the exception of the asylum. Just to clarify, this is a story about ghosts, but it is more of a thriller over horror.

The audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating for Ashes Beneath Her by J.R. Erickson.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Calling Back the Dead

Revisado: 09-30-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Would you believe it if someone came to you and said they see ghosts? Do you believe in ghosts? If your answer is yes to both, this is definitely the book for you. Erickson’s second installment in the Northern Michigan Asylum Series is downright creepy. While the first one was easy to predict, this one has a couple of twists that will entertain readers.

Sarah and Corrie are in a huge haunted manor all by themselves after a deathly terrifying Halloween party thrown at the manor, where one person winds up dead. The story begins with a detective questioning them about their take on the series of events leading up to the party. Sarah has a twin brother, HAD a twin brother, named Sammy, who was also Corrie’s husband. Sammy and Corrie move into Kerry Manor with their little girl, Isis, for a little while. Immediately, Corrie’s demeanor starts to change and Sammy is worried that the stay may not have been the right choice. Deciding to throw one last bash on Halloween before trying to persuade Corrie into moving again, he doesn’t realize the implications of waiting. As both Sarah and Corrie recount their lives leading up to the party, Sarah begins to look into possession and an asylum that is heavily rooted in the manor’s history while Corrie looks for a way to bring Sammy back to life. Death surrounds the manor and both women find that things aren’t always as they appear. Will they be able to get out of Kerry Manor alive or will the dead come back to make a claim for their souls?

Erickson leads her readers into a cold and dark world, but quite a fascinating one. While the story and the characters are fictional, the asylum is real and has been researched thoroughly. This provides originality, while still giving the author credibility. This place, you can imagine, has a ton of creative and unusual stories and this is where Erickson is able to lure her readers into this first installment. Navarro’s narration is fantastic. Erickson has another enticing story, and Navarro compliments both characters quite well. Each character she narrates has a different tone, the pace is nice and steady as the story intensifies, her emotional queues are on par with the story, and she makes the reader feel like they are in the story with Erickson’s characters. If you are a reader of paranormal fiction and mysteries, you may want to pick it up for a read. This is the second installment within the series; however, it can be read as a standalone. Everything is different with the exception of the asylum. Just to clarify, this is a story about ghosts, but it is more of a thriller over horror.

The audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a five star rating for Calling Back the Dead by J.R. Erickson.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

The Kaleidoscope

Revisado: 09-30-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Do you know what kaleidoscope is? For those of you who do not know, it is a toy consisting of a tube containing mirrors and pieces of colored glass or paper, whose reflections produce changing patterns that are visible through an eye hole when the tube is rotated. If you had an object that could show you your future instead of these mirrored pieces of colored glass, would you use it? Or if you had a chance to view your innermost desires or fears, would you jump at the chance to view them? This concept is very trivial, yet inspirational in the technological advancement arena. Nault brings an interesting story to readers about a man who is given a Kaleidoscope, not knowing anything about it, and forced to come to terms with being comfortable with uncertainty.

When Harold gets a chance at a promotion of a lifetime, he knows this will show his ex how serious he is about his life. Being known as a passerby of his own life has taken him down some pretty shoddy paths, but no more. This promotion means everything. Determined to make his trust issues take a back seat, he becomes entrusted with a wacky kaleidoscope that was given to him by just as wacky of a man. Homeless in the park, this man gives him this object, before he is dragged away. Little does he know, this object has unknown powers. Everyone who looks in sees something different about their life. Some brush it off as a cool kinda toy, but some are perturbed by it and awed, even downright greedy to get their hands on it. Harold, being a tech geek himself, knows that there is a story behind this object if only he can find that homeless man and figure out why it had to be him to receive it. Being abandoned at an early age by his father after his mother’s death, he has always believed that his father was the murderer. Meeting a quirky, yet cute neighbor next door has lightened him up to the possibility that he shouldn’t keep living in the past. As his relationship grows with Pepper, so too does an age old mystery that may connect him back to his father and give him the answers he so desperately longs for about his mother’s death. Finally, he may be able to leave the past…in the past.

Nault has a compelling story filled with creativity and well-defined characters. The story is fast-paced and the characters are fun and unique; Harold being a tech savvy gent who lives in the past and Pepper being a spunky cancer survivor living as much as possible in the now. The author will most likely not have a problem luring readers in with the cover artwork because it is colorful and eye-catching. Since this is a review of the audio book, the story appears to be well-written solely by the narration alone. Vernon is fun and breathes life into Nault’s characters. His vocals are on par with situational cues and the emotional bouts that the characters face. There are a few hiccups in the narration, like a line or two would be repeated or a longer than average pause, but not enough to hinder enjoyment of the audio book. If you are a reader of fantasy and mysteries, you may be interested in traveling alongside Harold and Pepper in their quest to find answers about the mysterious Kaleidoscope.

An audio book was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to The Kaleidoscope by Beverly Nault.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Some Can See

Revisado: 09-30-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Would you believe it if someone came to you and said they see ghosts? Do you believe in ghosts? If your answer is yes to both, this is definitely the book for you. Erickson’s first installment in the Northern Michigan Asylum Series is pretty interesting. Readers may be able to predict some of the mystery, but it is one of those stories hard to put down.

Hattie and Jude grew up with their grandmother, Gram Ruth, after an accidental death took their father and mother away. After Hattie begins seeing ghosts, she questions those around her as to why she has never seen her mother, even though she has called to her countless times. The short answer, their mother is not dead. The longer answer is bit more complicated than that. This story switches back and forth as the narrator transitions from Jude, Hattie, and Sophia. The readers get to understand each character on a more personal level rather than if the narrator was observing each character with the focus on just one. While Jude and Hattie are in search for answers, Sophia has escaped from the asylum she has been locked up in for the past nine years, and she must figure out how to clear her name. Being locked up for seeing ghosts is the least of her problems. She was also convicted of two murders, soon to be three, and everyone is out for her blood, including the evil Dr. Kaiser, the man who has an unhealthy obsession with her and his dead mother.

Erickson leads her readers into a cold and dark world, but quite a fascinating one. While the story and the characters are fictional, the asylum is real and has been researched thoroughly. This provides originality, while still giving the author credibility. This place, you can imagine, has a ton of creative and unusual stories and this is where Erickson is able to lure her readers into this first installment. Voller’s narration is harder to critique. The story is riveting; however, Voller is quite monotone in her voice relay. Each character she narrates has the same tone, the same sound, the same everything. This makes it very difficult for the reader to differentiate between characters. It can also bore the reader as well and for such a fascinating story, it is hard to see it muddied by a narrator that doesn’t keep this compelling aspect. The narrator also seemed to mispronounce words, but this could be an editing issue; it is not a huge issue, but noticeable. If you are a reader of paranormal fiction and mysteries, you may want to pick it up for a read. Since this is the first installment, readers can dive right in. Just to clarify, this is a story about ghosts, but it is not a horror story.

The audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four star rating for Some Can See by J.R. Erickson.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

The Girl Who Looked Beyond the Stars

Revisado: 09-30-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Are you into the paranormal? By paranormal, do you believe in angels? Do you like a good mystery involving the paranormal? If you could see angels, would everyone think you were crazy? All of these concepts are touched lightly with this story. Anne provides her readers with some insight into the realm of angels with this middle-grade story. Those who can see are few and far between, but the ones that have this gift are in extreme danger.

At only a little over one hundred pages, young readers are immersed into a world where only a handful of individuals are capable of seeing angels. Sheena, a thirteen-year-old girl is one of those individuals. When her father gets into a near fatal accident, Sheena sees an angel healing him in the hospital. Unable to come to terms with what she’s seen, an elderly man helps her learn about what she has just experienced. She also meets a new girl at school right around her first sighting who seems to be an obvious character to the reader, but Sheena never catches on to her. At least, not in the first installment anyway. She does learn that she is in danger though. Since she can see these angels, blessed with the gift at the early age of four, she now has to evade the Murk. With the help of her friends, can she overcome such unprecedented obstacles?

The Girl Who Looked Beyond the Stars is the first book in in the Sheena Meyer series. Anne introduces her main characters and gives the reader a thorough description of each. They are well-developed, but there is also a lot of information packed into such a short story. Short stories are very fickle; they can either be a hit or a miss. In this case, there is so much information that the reader is given at such a rapid pace. These stories are often great for a younger audience because they tend to overlook more holes in the story, but not so great for an adult audience. This story could have greatly benefited from a little bit more depth and does leave out several aspects which could have been more embellished on. Maybe if Anne combines some of her installments together or puts more emphasis on the scenes, this will eliminate the feeling of unsatisfactory storytelling. The author definitely has some pull with the cover design for this book. It is bright, alluring, and showcases a girl who may be able to do or see the unforeseen. It is an attraction and sure to catch young reader’s eyes! Howery provides a good narration of the story, really getting into the young female persona, sometimes overtly so. There were a few hiccups, but overall, the vocals were clear and emotionally charged. We wouldn’t recommend this story to a young or mature adult audience; this may not get too much traction since the story feels too rushed. It would be better suited for a middle schooler or teenager who will enjoy this style of writing and narration a little more. If you are a reader of paranormal mysteries, you may enjoy reading this first installment.

The audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a three-star rating for The Girl Who Looked Beyond the Stars by L.B. Anne.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

The Halves of Us

Revisado: 09-30-20

Do you have a twin? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have one? Researchers say that twins may have more than just a genetic connection. Some twins that get separated at birth, grow up with similar mannerisms even though they have no way of knowing the other. Can you imagine how that bond grows if they are together? Now, imagine twins that have two separate destinies, one good and one evil. It’s unfathomable! Richardson has an alluring young adult dark fantasy which will have readers devouring the pages of this first installment with fervor.

Adie and Aura are twins. They are sisters who have grown up together, knowing that one will become the next ruler of Thindoral. What will be the destiny for the other? Wanting to find out sooner, rather than later, the girls sneak into their mother’s safe hold and decide to touch the one thing that gives power to the kingdom. With the Rokis’ power, Adie begins to have nightmares. Agreeing to never speak of what they did again, Aura and Adie may need to break that promise after the kingdom comes under attack from dark forces that no one knows how to defeat. Under siege, the sisters learn first hand what it takes to fight for their land, even if it means losing their soul to the darkness to do it. The prophecy states that one is meant to rule and one is cursed to destroy, but do prophecies always come true if you choose to defy fate? Only time will tell…

Richardson’s first installment in the Halves of Us Trilogy is quite eventful and entertaining. The characters are full of passion, curiosity, and innocence. The two sisters are forced to face things that are far greater than they can even comprehend. They can either choose to do it alone or together. Their innocence and lack of knowledge of outside forces, plays a vital role in this story. While it is classified as a young adult dark fantasy, there are aspects of this story that feel it should be for more of a mature audience; however, the dark fantasy is spot on. While the story in itself is sensational, Taylor’s narration isn’t what was expected for this first installment. She carries the pace quite well, but every sentence spoken feels rehearsed, monotone, and matter of fact. Readers may wish for a vocalist who gets into the story, sharing varying emotions like fascination, curiosity, betrayal, and grief. If you are a reader of dark fantasy, you may find this satisfies your appetite.

An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to The Halves of Us by Sydney Paige Richardson.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A Lock of Hair

Revisado: 09-08-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

What is a lock of hair to you and I? Is it simply something that gets lobbed off every so often when we go to the salon? It provides you with a sense of self? Some women and men focus a lot of attention on their hair, but others may think it quite trivial. Think about it. It is so much more than that. It can have your DNA. It can be so powerful that someone can use your hair to incriminate you in a crime. Why wouldn’t witches be able to use it for their spells too, right? Pritchett has a riveting story with a dash of history, a pinch of witchcraft and a thread of mystery. Most importantly, this story is about hope, a hope that the world’s biases can be overcome through knowledge and faith.

Mildrid, AKA Millie, is a witch practitioner. She is also the daughter of a barber, the friend of an Irish Protestant girl, and a devout Christian. After agreeing to take on Mary as an apprentice, a woman comes to her requesting her help with a death spell on the O’Briens, wanting nothing more than vengeance on the family who evicted her loved ones when they needed kindness the most. Millie is desperate to keep her secret safe, but not at the cost of committing harm on others to do so. Declining this woman’s request can do two things: she could expose Millie as a witch to the community or she could take her revenge on the O’Briens herself. And that means, she would be trying to murder the love of her life, Theodore O’Brien. In a ditch effort to help the O’Briens have a fighting chance over what is to come, she warns Theodore and casts a protection spell. When Theodore’s mother and fiance fall ill at a dinner party, Millie is faced with a predicament of her own. She can either tell the detective about her witchcraft and the woman who wanted revenge on the O’Briens or she can hold her tongue. Outing herself as a witch could bring about an end to her life as she knows it once the community finds out, but doing the right thing has always been a part of her.

Pritchett’s story is captivating and original. With a little history in the background, the characters and the situations these characters face are completely credible and readers will find they can relate to them. The characters are all entertaining and expose vulnerability along with strength and bravado. Huesz brought the story to life in an exuberant way, showcasing each character and their methods of working through hardships. This narrator enhanced Pritchett’s story in every way. From listening to the audiobook alone, it does not appear the narrator had any trouble with pronunciation or pace of the context. This is a sensational team and it really shows both are passionate about what they do, writing and narration. If you are a reader of historical and young adult fiction, this may be a good fit for you. There is a warning in the front of the book regarding some of the biases and prejudices faced in Massachusetts and the South during the time period the story takes place.

The audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a five-star rating for A Lock of Hair by A. Rose Pritchett.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña