DISCORD by Katy Haye is a YA Novel that defies categorization. 4 out of 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Title: DISCORD    

Series: BOOK ONE OF THE ECHOES OF THE EARTH SERIES

Author: KATY HAYE 
Genre: YOUNG ADULT FICTION, SCIENCE FICTION

Length: 250 PAGES

Publisher: PLUMSHINE BOOKS

Release Date: DECEMBER 8, 2016

ISBN: 9781540412430

Price: $3.99 USD (EBOOK)

Rating: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS🌟🌟🌟🌟

Seventeen-year-old Beth has brain damage. She lives in a Steptoe House – a hospital in the English countryside that specializes in helping youths recover from brain trauma.
Her life consists of school classes, medical tests and of playing and  listening to therapeutic music.

Some days she feels great and better yet, she feels almost normal. On those days she contemplates going home and returning to her life. But, what kind of life will she be returning to? She has no memories of her family or her friends, in fact, she remembers nothing of her life before waking up at Steptoe House.

Beth’s bad days are REALLY BAD. On those days she sees and hears ghosts and other shadows. On those days she acknowledges that she is NOT ready to go home after all.

When a boy named Toby arrives at the Institute, Beth’s life will never be the same.

Toby encourages Beth to confront her fears instead of hiding from them. But when strange things begin to happen and Beth’s sense of deja vue starts running overtime, both Beth and Toby set out to discover what exactly it is that is wrong with Steptoe House.

I have to admit that I was pretty sure I had this novel completely figured out by the halfway point of the novel. I also haveto admit how very wrong I was.

What starts out as teen romance novel ends up morphing into a completely different book. In fact, this book is hard to classify into a single genre. It is clearly a Young Adult novel, but it is so much more. It is romance. It is horror. It is science fiction. It is mystery. It is drama. It is even speculative fiction. Whatever the official genre, I enjoyed it immensely. 

The cast of characters are diverse and they all seem like ordinary teenagers doing their best to recover from brain injuries so that they can return home to see their families. Families that never visit. According to the doctors, it would be detrimental to their recovery to have visitors. But, it all seems very strange to lead character, Beth. (And to the reader.)

I do not want to include any spoilers in this review, but suffice it to say that if you enjoy books that keep you in suspense and that keep you guessing, then this is a MUST READ.

The author has done a phenomenal job in setting up the story for the next book in the series, and I, for one am excited to read it. Rumour has it that Book Two will be released in March 2017.

I rate DISCORD as 4 out of 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟  

   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Katy Haye – In Her Own Words:

I spent most of my childhood and adolescence lost in a good book. Even now, and given the tedious necessity to earn a living in order to eat, I spend as much time as possible running around either my own or someone else’s imaginary world.

I’m fascinated by what makes books work – what makes a story so vivid the words themselves melt away and I’m living the character’s life with them?

I’ll be pondering (and very probably ranting) about the nuts and bolts of a good story on my Add More Narrativium blog – please join in. Also on this website, you can find out more about my books, including extracts and where to buy.

You might also like to check out my video of how I became a writer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o03uWBH7bBE 

COMING SOON – BUTTERFLY BONES by Rebecca Carpenter 4 Stars for a truly unique YA novel

Title: BUTTERFLY BONES
Author: REBECCA L. CARPENTER 

Type of Book: EBOOK

Genre: YOUNG ADULT FICTION, SCIENCE, OSTEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA 

Length: 248 PAGES

Publisher: LAKEWATER PRESS  
Release Date: NOVEMBER 28, 2016

ISBN: 9780994451170

Price: $3.99 USD

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars🌟🌟🌟🌟

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Bethany should not be alive.

Bethany had been born with a rare bone disease known as Osteogenesis Imperfecta – more commonly referred to as O.I.

Her doctors did not expect her to survive and had sent her home to die.

However, between the butterflies and her scientist father, Bethany defied the odds – she lived.

Now 15 years old, Bethany can’t wait to graduate high school and get the heck out of her town where she is bullied relentlessly. However, the butterflies might just have an agenda of their own.

This story reminds us all of the incredible power of mother nature.

MY REVIEW:

So, what attracted my interest to this book was not what would draw most people. I wanted to read this book because of the fact that the lead character had Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

Why?

The answer to that is simple. I have three sister-in-laws who have different degrees of Osteogenesis Imperfecta. (Yes, it runs in families.) This disease is not one that you hear about very often and most people mistake it with Osteoarthritis or Osteoporosis. It is much more severe and life-altering than either of those other two diseases.

To learn more about Osteogenesis Imperfecta visit www.oif.org 

Anyway, on to my thoughts about this book. I enjoyed this Young Adult book because of a few different things. I liked that it highlighted Bethany’s bullying, but I found it difficult to believe that most people  (even teenagers) would stand by – or worse, take part in bullying someone who was so obviously disabled. I guess I have more faith in people than I should. But, it is good that the issue of bullying was addressed. 

As to the main storyline where Bethany’s father uses butterfly DNA to strengthen Bethany’s body; I loved it. The concept was original and I loved the twist. I definitely did not see it coming.

I rate thisbook as 4 out of 5 Stars🌟🌟🌟🌟 and I recommend it to Young Adult readers.

• ADD TO GOODREADS 

  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rebecca Carpenter is a native of western Colorado. She is married with two grown children and has been blessed with four amazing grandchildren.

She owns and directs a large childcare center where she shares her love for books.

In her spare time, she freelances as a copy editor, helping others attain their writing dreams.

She finds solace and clarity while spending time with her husband exploring the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

To learn more about this author visit the following links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE 

GOODREADS    

TWITTER       

FACEBOOK 

INSTAGRAM