Jennifer Bull

A tense, physical plot in a well-paced read

Dead Close to Reality is the story of Cora Winters, computer geek, and her attempts to unravel several mysterious deaths connected to a high-tech, virtual reality game. In a generally well-paced story, somewhat grittier than a typical YA mystery/thriller, she battles virtual as well has real enemies in a constantly shifting landscape of friend and foe, dead and alive.

Dead Close to Reality bears many of the hallmarks of a YA mystery/thriller, e.g., young protagonist, largely missing or ineffectual adults (unless they are villains of course), little or no sex. But this book goes a bit farther on violence than I consider typical. That’s not to say it was graphic, but violence was frequent and often intense. If you’re looking for a somewhat more ‘physical’ YA yarn, this one will fit nicely.

The pacing was good, although the author did repeat some themes a bit much. Cora’s complaints about a ‘nuisance’ male friend, Derek, was an example. But overall, the story flowed well and held my attention to the end. As for character development, Cora represented a strong, intelligent, and independent female, all great qualities. But there is a fine line between strong and headstrong for no reason, and Cora’s unwillingness to trust anyone became somewhat tedious. If her self-reliance had succeeded, it might have made more sense. But the author used frequent reversals of fortune to keep tension high, making me wish Cora had used more of her intellect to discover her real friends and develop better plans. She was likeable as seat-of-the-pants gutsy and tough, but not much of a tactician or strategist.

The main factor that kept me from becoming fully immersed, however, was the lack of attention to making the story seem real, or at least near-future real, rather than just ignoring implausibility for plot convenience. There was something like a half-dozen deaths connected to the game, but there was no public outcry. There was no media frenzy. There was hardly any police presence. And at one point, 20-30 people were being held against their will in a cave, but an individual connected with law enforcement told Cora she had to hang on until he could get enough evidence for a conviction. Huh? Simply put, the story lacked the confluence of tragic coincidence or unforeseen circumstances that the best authors find to tie your stomach in a knot, rather than make you scratch your head.

Overall, the story has some holes and a heroine that could often use her smarts to better effect, but it’s still a tense, physical plot in a well-paced read.… (plus d'informations)

See full review @ The Indigo Quill

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a part of some Writers Guilds in my area, and one of the exercises we do is a writing prompt. A slideshow of images is put before us, and we write whatever comes to mind in the amount given based on one or all of the images. It actually makes a really good spontaneous exercise, and it's interesting to hear what everyone comes up with. We all think on different planes, and often times I'm surprised at the result. This is the concept of Wonderstruck.

Note to the reader: this book is pretty big, but it's actually a really light read! It's full of dribbles, novelettes, novellas, and short stories based on 5 picture prompts. As you can see above, there are SEVERAL authors involved, some who are award-winners, others who are just emerging with their craft. Needless to say, there is a lot of variety in this book, and don't let the size scare you!

Sometimes anthologies are difficult to get into because the writing is inconsistent between authors, so I usually have to brace myself between stories, especially when I was really getting attached to one. I will say that the showcased authors were very good, and I really enjoyed their works. It was also a good start for several of the other emerging authors, and many of them I enjoyed watching their talents blossom as well. I'm sure each person that reads this collection will enjoy different stories of their own kind. "Heartkeeper" was definitely one of my favorites and one that I would recommend.

I really liked the variety! Not all of the works were predictable or ended well, but I honestly like open ends and dynamic plots. I can't say that I loved EVERY story, but I would still say this is worth the reader deciding!

If you want a book you can take with you and read between your busy schedule, Wonderstruck is perfect. Not to mention, it has a gorgeous cover.… (plus d'informations)