Peace is found within...: KARINA by E.B. Mann

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're burning the midnight (okay, so heading towards midnight) oil as we cram as much as possible into our one day off.  No seriously...a little sleep, a bit of shopping, a stop off for some lunch, READING (of course!), and now some blogging.  Whew! I'm tired just typing it and I lived through it so, you know...definitely tired, but still, I had my fun along the way.  Speaking of which, back to that last checklist item of blogging...

GET READY because here comes a late breaking review!  Why?  Well because, frankly, I'm low on time and sometimes a review without a specific due date gets shuffled here, there, and everywhere, including the actual post time.  Gotta love flexibility and with that being said, I'm asking you to keep an open mind as we dive into today's chosen title.  It calls home Middle Grade, but with the topics of discussion, I'd gauge it as the older end of that group or even Young Adult, but any way you classify it, you're in for an interesting read.  Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

Karina

by

E.B. Mann

About the book...

For Karina Morgan, every day is another chance to be bullied by the pretty girls at school–all because of an accident when she was just a baby that left her horribly scarred. Her life seems hopeless, until she stumbles upon a mysterious cave near her home. What she learns from the cave's extraordinary inhabitants will change her perspective–and her life–forever.

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A much headier tale than I initially imagined, but filled with the positive message of "reader, heal thyself".  Karina was hurt by the world, once upon a time, but that hurt, that accident, created a rift in how she approached life. The world was no longer her oyster, but an oyster farm, out to get her when she least suspected. One day, she stumbles upon the door to her inner voice (stay with me) and after this initial discovery, she is changed. She no longer sees simply the ugliness of the world, but the hidden battle between our true selves and that which we present to the world. Visit after visit, she comes to understand that while her skills for "seeing" are unique, that inner realm exists for each person, if only they'd look deep enough within to find it, trust that little voice to guide them in the right direction. She finds it's something she can help others with, but not simply show them, as the journey to that level of understanding is very personal, and the path to get there varied. By book's end, she's covered much ground within, allowing her to better accept the coming changes in her life as beloved people say goodbye and her future looms on the horizon...and although it does have its sad moments, it also has times of great joy and happiness, making it not something to dread but to look forward to. Word to the wise, you have to go into this one with an open mind because if you don't believe in the concepts presented (reincarnation, the circle of life, the power of positive thinking), or at the very least accept that others do, it won't reveal its true colors, because although it is fiction, it deals with something "real world" enough that completely suspending your beliefs can be a challenge. Despite the heavy concepts covered, I did rather enjoy my time between the pages. Exploring Karina's "world" was breathtaking, making you take a moment to bask in its otherworldly beauty while it also made you stop and think, contemplating just how it could possibly be.  Overall, a curious read from start to finish, but it had enough heart to bring all the feels of the moments presented a dozen times over.

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About author E.B. Mann...

Hi! I'm a novelist and mom of one, who thinks the world would be a fascinating--and possibly much better--place if girls were in charge. I'm interested in anything that can help explain why we're all here on this planet or bring a tear to my eye.

SITE

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Special thanks to author E.B. Mann for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, or the author, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!