Our Differences Make Us Who We Are

Hi there readers!

Happy Thursday/Friday to you!  (No, I'm not crazy but I know most of you probaby won't get to read this til Friday since I'm posting late in the day and I want to have my bases covered.  Anywho....It's been a long and fairly interesting week here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers...or at least it has been for me.  Whew!  Between life, work, reading and well...life...it's time to call it a week and give you another book to add to your wish list.

This time around we have a title that is written by a very young author (she finished this book at the age of 16...talk about making one feel behind in the success column but more power to her!) intent on welcoming you to a world of magic, wonder, and danger.  *dun dun dunnnn*  it's an interesting ride so without further adieu, I give you the book of choice for today....

Journey Into the Realm:
The Elf Girl
by
Markelle Grabo

From the back cover....
"Sure, there are many explanations for why people are so different from one another, explanations that made sense.  Could magic be classified as one of them?"

Now that's only a brief clip from the back, but it works to illustrate my point well...you'll see.  Ramsey Wilder, our fifteen year old main character has always known she's different....she just never envisioned just how different she'd turn out to be.  One day on her semi regular trip to her local bookstore (gotta love a character that likes to read, right?), Ramsey discovers a tome of a book that she's never seen the likes of...'The Mysterious Guide to Fantasy'.  It may not sound eye popping to one and all but for a girl that likes a bit of magic in her life (like Ramsey) it's a match made in heaven. 

But wait...ever since the moment she set eyes on the book, strange things have been happening.  Like what you ask?  Well, how about the girl at the checkout (Addison) knowing her name despite them never having met...or the personalization in the book directing her to a certain page having to do with elfens.  No?  Still not strange enough?  Okay, how about when a tendril of WATER attacks her and a mysterious (and handsome) stranger barely manages to save her life?  Yep...told you, strange things.  They may seem out of the blue, but they're not when considering Ramsey's past and she's about to learn quite a bit in short order.  Let's hope she catches up quick because their are lives, worlds even, at stake....including her own.

Now we begin the analysis since you have the back story...I'll be relatively brief.  The story had A LOT of potential, it truly did and while I can't say I didn't like it (because I did), it fell short in a few areas for me.  First, the story seemd to circle back in a repetitive cycle....outcast character, finds a place of belonging, crisis situation and repeat without a real sense of resolution.  The scenary changed and magical aspects were introduced (some pretty clever ones too) but I could all too often foresee what was going to happen because of the repetitive formula. 

Second and pretty much my last "grievance" of sorts was...***SPOILER ALERT*** the secret that is Ramsey's (or rather is about her) and is referenced to a thousand and one times in the book is NEVER revealed.  Nope.  Never. ***SPOILER OVER***  This could well be resolved in the next book of the series but it seemed like an awfully big part of the puzzle to withhold from readers after 352 pages.  I was rather exaspirated myself....but I digress.

I will definitely tip my hat to the author's ability to create a 3-dimensional world....especially for a first effort.  You could really see the Realm take shape as you were reading, the good and the not so good.  The characters were distinctive (love the little gnome) and their beauty will not go unnoticed...nor their fury when dealing with the fairies *shudders*.  Even the relationships, both platonic and romantic are represented well and in good measure.  Rest assured though their are emotional entanglements to deal with, that is NOT the heart of the story.

In my opinion, the heart of this story is Ramsey and her quest to find a place in this world (or the magic Realm) where she truly belongs.  It's a story about accepting others for who they are not what they are, or rather what they look like, because in the end love is what matters.  Love for oneself, love for others and love for the world around us.  A recommended read for all ages as there is something for everyone in the story.  Rest assured I'll be keeping an eye out for book two and hoping for a big reveal!

Review copy courtesy of Maryanne Grabo and author Markelle Grabo.  (Thanks ladies!)  For more information on the series as well as the author's current works in progress, visit her online at GoodReads, Twitter, or her website.

Until next time....happy reading!