Word to Dreams: REVIEW of Visited by Janine Caldwell PLUS an AWESOME GIVEAWAY!

Today I'm excited to bring you Visited by Janine Caldwell. This is the third book written by Ms. Caldwell and like her others it is a YA novel. This coming-of-age fantasy was published on May 25th, 2013. For readers looking for a clean read, you need not look further than Visited.

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Joanna Murphy has lost faith in her life. Vying for her mom’s attention, she’s resentful of her stepdad’s intrusion to their family. Her best friend, Tommy, has no clue she’s in love with him as he dates girl after girl without noticing how it tortures her. The final kicker, though, is God’s sick joke to make her freakishly tall when everyone knows boys prefer petite girls.

Then in a bizarre accident Joanna meets James, a breathtaking teen who appears to her after an unusual falling star sighting. Suddenly, her dream for an alien encounter becomes all too real. But when she finds her life has been made unrecognizable, she’s forced into an explosive study of the original design for her life that just may have her regretting every wish she ever made.

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D0G63VG/ref=s9_simh_bw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0S4G4SSTEKYZ2K4J6GS8&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1560405502&pf_rd_i=154606011

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/visited-janine-caldwell/1115465382?ean=2940016791937

MY REVIEW

Having read past books of Janine Caldwell, I was more than happy to receive a copy of this book from her in exchange for an honest review and I thank her. When the opportunity arose at the same time to participate in a blog tour for this book, I was more than eager to join in.

This book was a different direction than her Vortex Trilogy. Instead of time travel outright, it's a twist on the whole watch what you wish for. Like her Vortex Trilogy, the supernatural aspect is pushed more to the background allowing for the bigger story to come through. Yes, there is more than one story going on here.

The story has potential from the start. The first few chapters are spun with a master storyteller flair. The story picks up even more, showing the changes that have suddenly taken place and the effects on Joanna. Unfortunately, the dialogue is a bit strained, the behaviors a bit erratic, the climax falls a bit flat and the ending just didn't satisfy me in the way it should have.

The story give you a look at the what if answer of Joanna's life. What if she wasn't super tall? What if she was dating her best friend? What if her mother didn't remarry? What if all the things she wanted changed were changed? It makes you think. What if the things you wished were different actually were? Would it all actually be a positive change?

Perfect for the 13-16 age range, I find myself wanting to group this particular book in Christian YA fiction instead of mainstream YA. I do feel that those in this age range who like contemporary fiction mixed with a bit of the paranormal will enjoy this book and will entice them to read further books from the author.

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AUTHOR BIO

Janine Caldwell was born in Concord, CA and raised in the small San Francisco Bay Area town of Clayton. Four days after her high school graduation, Janine attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and graduated with a degree in English.

Janine now lives in Anthem, AZ with her husband and two sons. As a lifelong literature fanatic, she knew it was only a matter of time before she would become obsessed with writing her own work. With relatives like the Brothers Grimm and Anita Loos (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), she figured fantasy writing had to be in her DNA.

Books published by Janine include Visited, a YA coming-of-age fantasy, Rematch and Double Fault—the first two books of The Vortex Series. The final book in this YA fantasy romance, Deuce, will be released fall 2013.

LINKS:

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