While I’ve always been an avid reader for nearly any genre of book within reach, I’ve always had a tendency to stick with more well-known authors and titles, worrying newer authors might still be honing the craft of engaging their audiences.
Yet, after reading Marlene Simonette’s newest release, Trouble in Bookland: Part I, any previous assumptions I may have carried about the Indie market have been shattered. An exciting example of the throngs of self-published novels recently filling online bookstores, Simonette’s plot twists kept me turning pages up until the last agonizing four words, “Part II, coming soon.”
Equal parts suspenseful, charming and magical, Trouble in Bookland takes place in the Patchwork, a land where both the stories and Characters in books come to life. When 13-year-old Linda, a young Author, is given the chance to visit the Patchwork as a birthday present from her step-brother, she’s thrilled at the idea of meeting her favorite characters and visiting the Patches they call home. It doesn’t take long, however, before things go awry in a rogue Patch, threatening to destroy the entire Isle if the land’s Author isn’t stopped. As a new Author and the only one able to enter the Patch, Linda is soon forced to accept the overwhelming task ahead: restore the Patch in one day’s time or watch all of Bookland crumble.
One of the largest struggles for any writer is creating a decent, fleshed-out plot that doesn’t rely on clichés to save the main character or the story itself. The uniqueness of the plot in Simonette’s book, however, made such a feat seem easy, and was part of the reason the book itself was so hard to put down. Even the idea of bringing Characters and their stories to life in Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror Patches, or of Authors gathering together in a castle to write and edit in peace, seemed fantastic, and quickly pulled me deeper into the story despite some of the stranger terminology used by Linda and her step-brother.
I also loved the element of surprise present throughout the book. In spite of my best efforts in predicting the ending of the book and who was to blame for the rogue Patch, it seemed almost impossible to figure out what would happen next. This was, in large part, thanks to the many plot twists woven throughout the novel, which managed to keep me on edge until reaching the end — although I’m still working on prying myself off of the side of my proverbial seat thanks to the cliffhanger ending to Part I of the series.
In spite of the book’s creative setting and dynamic plot, however, there were still a few sticking points in the novel that I would love to see improved in the second book. The numerous terms used in Part I to refer to various parts of the Patchwork or the mystery behind Linda’s past made the beginning of the novel a bit more difficult to comprehend. The addition of some extra exposition also couldn’t have hurt, particularly in lengthening the book and immersing the reader even sooner in the thick of the story.
Overall, I have to say I was thoroughly impressed with Simonette’s writing technique and her ability to tell a story that was both thrilling and believable. Despite being a new author on the self-publishing scene, her first novel shows plenty of untapped creative potential.
I’m happy to say Trouble in Bookland: Part I will hold a spot on my Kindle’s bookshelf for months to come, waiting for the perfect snow day or rainy evening to take me back to the Patchwork and relive Linda’s adventures until Part II becomes available.
Have you read Trouble in Bookland: Part I or any other books by Indie authors? What did you think of them? Leave a comment below.
Trouble in Bookland: Part I turns heads as well as pages
January 30, 2016
Trouble in Bookland: Part I is the newest release by Marlene Simonette about a young Author, Linda, and her efforts to save a Patchwork of characters and stories from being destroyed.
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