Since the moment I posted my first book review, I found a common question running through my mind:
What do I do when a book is just...not for me?
Yes, you read that right. Not ‘what do I do if I don’t like it’ or ‘what do I do if I read a bad book, but what if the book is not to my taste.
Because the fact is, taste is a subjective matter and can fluctuate.
This is a question that has been quite bothersome since I first started these book reviews by pure chance after getting the chance to read ‘The Wysman’ by Dorothy Winsor. After all I, myself am a writer. I know from personal experience how much effort and time it takes to craft a story that plays in your head, haunting your days and fingers. But I also have been in the position of a reader, and I know how bad reviews can turn off a buyer, holding stronger then a positive review could.
Life is like that, for most, unfortunately. The negative so easily capture our thoughts even if the positive outweighs it
Which is a fear I kind of understand, after all, there is a cost that comes with delving into new worlds, (beyond the monetary value) and that is the emotional attachment. Most hearts are so easy to attach to characters, even of fiction, leaving you with what would appear to be an emotional hangover
When the thoughts occurred one solution always seemed most obvious to me: Review it from the perspective of some who it would be good for.
After all, a review is supposed to let people know if they will enjoy it or not.
So why not also focus on who exactly would enjoy it?
An easy statement to make, but harder to do by. There was a point where I questioned whether there was a point in continuing with reading if I am not enjoying it, or gaining anything of empathetic value. But I came to feel I needed to give this book a good shot before I dismissed it, and I am glad I did.
Before the Echo was given to me by the publishers Inspired Quill in return for an honest review, marketed as a prequel to Shattered Echo, said to be a book that could be read as a stand-alone, though as someone who has not read the original series, there were too many vague explanations, that created loose strings that should have been tied within the novel if that was the case. So if you seek to read this best be sure to first check out the original series: ‘Echo Branson Investigation Series’
When receiving the description, I immediately jumped on the train to offer a review.
With a gorgeous cover and a tale of supernatural beings, ‘Before the Echoes’ is an urban fantasy book that holds an element of mystery, following the tale of Tomas, Frankie and Bailey, three supers, as they work to solve the mystery behind the deaths of their kind, as the battle for supers to reveal themselves to humans is once again in the air, many refusing to stay in the shadows any longer.
Focused mainly upon the perspective of Tomas Redhawk, a Native American boy with the power of telekinesis, the story goes through his journey of discovery, learning to no longer hide from who he is, who those he loves know he is.
This book gives a different take on the supernatural story line. The supers must choose to either give up their lives and learn the arts of controlling their powers or live a life of no support, risking losing control of their power or being hunted down by those who have the wrong intentions
I found myself entranced by the mystery upon the first chapter, though I came to the quick realisation this book is going to be different, and not to my taste.
My taste?
In-depth story lines and heavy characterisation like the likes of Laini Taylor's writing
Instead, this book offers a more simplistic writing style, relying heavily on speech and short chapters, over description and a slow pace. I feel this book is not for long time readers but more for the beginners just getting into reading. Or perhaps for those who need short bursts of quick distractions from their daily lie, and not an in-depth read that cannot be squeezed into a day’s nooks and crannies.
The official website of the publisher's classes this book as an ‘adult’ novel, whilst the others in the series are set at ‘teen’ (15+), most likely due to the heftier themes. However, given the writing style where there is not much in-depth into these themes, just the bare minimum, I would class this as early or pre-teen material, with its writing style resembling that of Chris D’lacey’s ‘Unicorn Files’ novel.
I am already planning on passing it on to my teenage brother, who I know will enjoy this fast-paced, straight-to-action writing style.
Warnings:
Death
Violence
Bereavement
Edited by CC